Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . of cutting offthe besieged from water and provisions ; for there isbut little water at the top, and some at least wouldhave to be fetched from one of the two streamswhich flow at the foot of the hill. Between thesouthern stream and Gergovia there is a lowep- hill,with steep sides, now called La Roche Blanche,which was occupied by the Gauls. This was takenby assault, and two legions were at once entrenchedupon it. It was then connected with the larger camp,which had been pitched on the eastern side of thefortress, by a double entre
Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . of cutting offthe besieged from water and provisions ; for there isbut little water at the top, and some at least wouldhave to be fetched from one of the two streamswhich flow at the foot of the hill. Between thesouthern stream and Gergovia there is a lowep- hill,with steep sides, now called La Roche Blanche,which was occupied by the Gauls. This was takenby assault, and two legions were at once entrenchedupon it. It was then connected with the larger camp,which had been pitched on the eastern side of thefortress, by a double entrenchment. But this plandid not immediately succeed. The blockading forcewas clearly too small to cut off all the water had, in fact, only six legions, some 25,000men, with him ; the other four were operating underLabienus against the rebellious tribes on the Seine. Meanwhile, the expected defection among theiEdui had taken place, and a force of 10,000 men,whom Caesar had ordered them to send him, hadrenounced their fidelity on the march, and were. 52 The Gallic Rebellions. 225 intending to join his enemies. Caesar had to leaveGergovia with four legions and all his cavalry, andcatch them on their way. He was but twenty-fourhours absent, but he returned with the ^duan armypenitent and obedient, and the news of their sub-mission decided the fate of the hostile ^duanfaction. / But it was clear that he could not stay atGergovia while such perilous intrigues were hatchingelsewhere; and finding on his return that his campon the Roche Blanche had barely escaped from avigorous sortie by the enemy, he began to considerwhether it would not be advisable to abandon thesiege. But a sudden movement of the enemy de-cided him to make one last effort to get at least atighter hold upon his prey. { The ridge which connected Gergovia with theneighbouring heights was felt by the besieged to bea weak point in their defence *; and as they hadfailed to recover the Roche Blanche, they
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