The speech begins with a proem (3-4) in which Critognatus presents the two positions debated in the council of Alesia, namely to yield the city and to turn themselves to the Romans, or to break out of the city to attack the Roman armies. At this moment, Critognatus tries to convince them to wait the siege out.Ĭritognatus’s speech is highly influenced by Roman rhetoric standards (see Riggsby, Caesar, p. 113-118) and is carefully structured in three parts (see the division followed in Fabia, De orationibus, p. 86-90 Di Lorenzo, “Il discorso,” p. 560-562 Riggsby, Caesar, p. 110-111). During a meeting of the city council, some Gauls debated about what to do. The Gallic army was waiting inside Alesia for some uncertain military back up, whereas supplies started to lack.
He pronounces it whereas the city of Alesia was besieged by the Roman troops. The text presented here, the longest piece of direct discourse in the whole work, is a speech, invented by Caesar, that he attributes to the Arvernian leader Critognatus. An intermediary opinion has also been suggested, according to which the work was published in three stages (for the debate, see Riggsby, Caesar, p. 9). On the contrary, other scholars believe that it was written all at once, between late 52 and 50 BCE.
Some scholars believe that Caesar wrote each book, year by year, during the winter after the campaigns. Concerning the redaction of The Gallic War and of the book VII in particular, it remains a debated issue. This text is an excerpt from the book VII of The Gallic War, a book which narrates the military events of the year 52 BCE and which ends with the Roman victory at Alesia against Vercingetorix.
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