Averni Territory: South Central Gaul (Massif Central region in modern France)
Capital: Gergovia

According to Greek and Latin authors, the Averni, after whom the French region Auvergne was named, were the most powerful Gallic tribe in the 3rd-2nd century BC.

The Avernii King Luern(ios) III personally led an army in 281 BC all the way to Rome and looted the city. When his son Bituit(us) was defeated by the Romans around 120 BC, the Celtic resistance crushed in central and southern Gaul and the Roman ‘Provincia’ (that is the origin of the French word "Provence") established, they were eclipsed by their neighbours, the Aedui and the Sequani.

However, the Avernii once again took the lead in resisting Rome in 53-52 BC when one of their most famous princes in the history of Gaul, Vercingetorix, successfully defended the oppidum of Gergovia against Julius Caesar. He was responsible for leading the last major rebellion against the Roman occupation of the Gaul homeland, saying that the Romans were strong enough to defeat each tribe one at a time, but with all the tribes united, they would be able to defeat the Romans. After Vercingetorix defeated the Romans at Gergovia, Julius Caesar pursued him to the hilltop city of Alesia and besieged the city. When the Gaulic relief forces arrived, Caesar was outnumbered 8 to 1. After a number of unsuccessful tries to overrun the Romans, the Gaulic relief forces decided to try one last, final, "let's all die in glory" assault to relieve Alesia. The attack would have succeded if not for the timely arrival of Caesar's Germanic cavalry in the Gaulic rear. The Gauls were routed and hotly pursued by the German cavalry who the Gauls thought of as "barbarians". After the rout of the relief force, Vercingetorix surrendered to Caesar and was paraded in Rome during Caesar's victory parade and was later strangled in prison by the Romans.

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