REAL ESTATE FOR BREAKFAST

TRANSCRIPTION: Julius Caesar was among ancient Rome’s most successful politicians. He is known for expanding the ancient Roman empire and was Rome’s first dictator. He amassed his political capital as a Roman general through various military victories that also brought him great wealth. His greatest military achievement was earned at the Battle of Alesia during Rome’s military campaign against the Gauls, warrior tribes that inhabited what is now modern-day France and Belgium. For years, the Romans had been fighting for dominance over the Gaul region against the Gallic tribes.

The Gauls were composed of numerous independent tribes who came together and organized under the leadership of Vercingetorix, a Gallic prince. Vercingetorix had successfully led his army in guerrilla warfare against the Romans for over 10 years. Then, around 50 BC, the Gallic and Roman armies clashed, and Vercingetorix and his army of 80,000 retreated behind the walls of Alesia, a settlement town that was situated high on a hill between two rivers. It was a great location for a fortress town. The Romans were known as masters of laying siege to cities, so when faced with taking Alesia and the Gallic army, Caesar decided on a siege to force Alesia’s inhabitants to surrender by starvation. At Alesia, Caesar ordered his 70,000-man army to build a massive fortification that encircled the fortified town; they erected 13 feet high walls with a reported circumference of 11 miles long.

In response to the Roman siege, Vercingetorix’s army sent out messengers to fellow tribesmen throughout the countryside, and it is said that he enlisted over 250,000 Gauls to come to his besieged army’s aid. Upon learning of the Gallic reinforcements, Caesar knew that his army would soon be surrounded and outnumbered 5 to 1. Caesar had to act and adjust quickly to the news of the pending arrival of his enemies, so he quickly developed a counter-strategy to defeat the Gauls. Caesar had his army and engineers construct an outer fortification to protect against the anticipated external attack. His legions built another wall 13 miles around the 11 mile siege fortification.

The Romans also dug three separate trenches equally as long. One trench was almost 20 feet wide and deep. They then flooded the trenches. The Romans were now caught between two large enemy armies and between two massive fortifications. They waited. When the Gallic relief army of over 250,000 men arrived, they attacked the outer Roman fortifications. Vercingetorix’s soldiers poured out from the besieged town and attacked the inner Roman fortification.

But the Gauls’ combined attack proved unsuccessful, in large part, because Caesar had hidden his cavalry outside the external fortification walls. The cavalry then came up from behind the Gauls—pinning the Gauls between the cavalry and the outer walls. The Gauls were rerouted and slaughtered. Those that escaped were hunted down by Romans. With the defeat of his allies’ armies, Vercingetorix realized that his army could not overcome the massive Roman siege. The very next day the Gauls surrendered their weapons and delivered Vercingetorix to Caesar. The war in Gaul was over. Caesar had faced rapidly changing circumstances that caused him to quickly modify his initial siege plans for Alesia.

Just as Caesar had to be flexible with his military plans, there are times during litigation when we find ourselves up against evolving legal challenges or newly revealed material facts; we must be willing to adapt from our desired outcome and become flexible with developing a new legal or exit strategy. In law, being adaptable is just as critical to a successful legal battle as having a legal strategy in the first place.

Dedicated to your success,
David Soble

About David Soble: David is a seasoned real estate and finance attorney with more than 35 years of experience, combining his background as a “big bank insider” with a commitment to demystifying complex legal issues for his clients.  As the founding attorney of Soble Law (also known as Soble PLC / Proven Resource), he leads a specialized team in Michigan and Ohio that handles real estate transactions, contract disputes, probate, and financial litigation.  Known for a practical, no-nonsense approach and peer-rated excellence (Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent), Soble and his team strive to protect clients’ property and financial interests with clarity, integrity, and experience.

Disclaimer: You should not rely or act upon the contents of this article without seeking advice from your own qualified attorney.