Avaricum

Avaricum was an oppidum in ancient Gaul, near what is now the city of Bourges. Avaricum, situated in the lands of the Bituriges Cubi, was the largest and best-fortified town within their territory, situated on very fertile lands. The terrain favored the oppidum, as it was flanked by a river and marshland, with only a single, narrow entrance. By the time of the Roman conquest in 52 BC, the city, according to Julius Caesar, had a population of 40,000 people who were then almost all killed.