Battle of Lake Trasimene
Part of the Second Punic War
Date: June 24, 217 BC Location: Lake Trasimeno, Italy Result: Carthaginian victory
Combatants
Carthage	Roman Republic
Commanders
Hannibal	Gaius Flaminius †
Strength
30,000 soldiers	30,000-40,000 soldiers
Casualties
1,500 soliders	about 15,000

The Battle of Lake Trasimene (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second Punic War between the Carthaginians under Hannibal and the Romans under the consul Gaius Flaminius. The battle is perhaps one of the largest and most successful ambushes in military history. Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Titus Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco, Maharbal, Syphax, Hanno the... Battles of the Second Punic War Created by Panairjdde with GMT (Generic Mapping Tools, gmt. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC - 210s BC - 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC Years: 222 BC 221 BC 220 BC 219 BC 218 BC - 217 BC - 216 BC 215 BC... Lake Trasimeno aka Lago Trasimeno, is the largest lake in peninsular Italy with a surface area of 128 km/sq, just slightly less than that of Lake Como. ... Carthaginian settlements in the western Mediterranean. ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Bust of Hannibal Hannibal (247 BC – 183/182 BC; sometimes referred to as Hǎnnibal Barca) was a Carthaginian politician and statesman who is considered to be one of the finest military generals in history. ... Gaius Flaminius was a politician and consul of the Roman Republic in the 3rd century BC. He was the greatest popular leader to challenge the authority of the Senate before the Gracchi a century later. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Titus Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco, Maharbal, Syphax, Hanno the... The Battle of Ticinus (also Tichino or Techino) a battle of the Second Punic War fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Romans under Publius Cornelius Scipio in November 218 BC. It was the first battle to take place on Italian soil. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Titus Sempronius Longus Strength 26,000 45,000 Casualties Unknown, but low 20,000 The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic War, fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Roman Republic in 218... For the eleventh century battle in the Norman conquest of the Mezzogiorno, see Battle of Cannae (1018) Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro Strength 40,000 heavy infantry, 6,000 light infantry, 8,000 cavalry 86,400–87,000 men (sixteen Roman and Allied... The First Battle of Nola was fought in 216 BC between the forces of Hannibal and a Roman force led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... The Second Battle of Nola was fought in 215 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman Army under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... The Third Battle of Nola was fought in 214 BC between Hannibal and Roman army led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... The First Battle of Capua was fought in 212 BC between Hannibal and a Roman army. ... The Battle of the Silarus was fought in 212 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman force led by Praetor M. Centenius Penula. ... The first Battle of Herdonia was fought in 212 BC between Hannibals Carthaginian army and Roman forces led by Praetor Gnaeus Fulvius. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal Barca Publius Cornelius Scipio† Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus† // Introduction The Battle of the Upper Baetis was fought in 211 BC between a Carthaginian force led by Hasdrubal Barca (Hannibals brother) and Roman force led by Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus. ... The Second Battle of Capua was fought in 211 BC when the Romans besieged Capua. ... The Second Battle of Herdonia of the Second Punic War, was fought in 210 BC between Hannibals army and the Roman forces of Fulvius Centumalus. ... The Battle of Numistro was fought in 210 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman army led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... The Battle of Asculum was fought in 209 BC between Hannibals Carthaginian army, and a Roman force. ... The Battle of Baecula was Scipio Africanus’s first major field battle after he had taken command of Roman interests in Spain during the Second Punic War, in which he routed the Carthaginian army under the command of Hasdrubal Barca. ... The Battle of Grumentum was fought in 207 BC between Romans led by Gaius Claudius Nero, and Hannibals Carthaginian army. ... The Battle of the Metaurus was a pivotal battle in the ancient conflict between Rome and Carthage, fought in 207 BC near the Metaurus River in Italy. ... The Battle of Ilipa was a battle of the Second Punic War. ... The Battle of Crotona was fought in 204 BC between Hannibals Carthaginian army, and a Roman force led by Sempronius. ... The Battle of Bagbrades (also known as Campi Magni, Great Plains) was fought in 203 BC between a combined Carthaginian and Numidian force, and the Roman army of Scipio Africanus. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic East Numidia Commanders Hannibal Scipio Africanus Masinissa Strength almost 58,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 80 war elephants 34,000 Roman infantry 3,000 Roman cavalry 6,000 Numidian cavalry Casualties 31,000 killed and wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded The... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC - 210s BC - 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC Years: 222 BC 221 BC 220 BC 219 BC 218 BC - 217 BC - 216 BC 215 BC... The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and took force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Titus Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco, Maharbal, Syphax, Hanno the... This article is about the ancient city-state of Carthage in North Africa. ... Bust of Hannibal Hannibal (247 BC – 183/182 BC; sometimes referred to as Hǎnnibal Barca) was a Carthaginian politician and statesman who is considered to be one of the finest military generals in history. ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Gaius Flaminius was a politician and consul of the Roman Republic in the 3rd century BC. He was the greatest popular leader to challenge the authority of the Senate before the Gracchi a century later. ... An ambush is a long established military tactic in which an ambushing force uses concealment to attack an enemy that passes its position. ...

Prelude

The Romans, greatly alarmed and dismayed by Sempronius Longus’ defeat at Trebia, immediately made plans to counter the new threat from the north. Sempronius returned to Rome and the Roman Senate resolved to elect new consuls the following year in 217 B.C. The two new consuls elected were Gnaeus Servilius and Gaius Flaminius. The Senate commissioned Servilius to replace Publius Cornelius Scipio, and took command of his army, while Flaminius was appointed to command what remained of Sempronius’s army. Since both armies were thinned out by the defeat at Trebia, four new legions were raised, and these new forces, together with the remains of the former army, were divided between the two consuls ^[1]. After the battles of Ticinus and Trebia, Flaminius' army turned south to prepare a defense near Rome itself. Hannibal immediately set out to follow, but marched faster and soon passed the Roman army. Flaminius was forced to increase the speed of his march in order to bring Hannibal to battle before reaching the city. Another force under Servilius was due to join Flaminius. Titus Sempronius Longus (Born c. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Titus Sempronius Longus Strength 26,000 45,000 Casualties Unknown, but low 20,000 The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic War, fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Roman Republic in 218... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC (mythical), early 1st millennium BC (archaeological) Region Latium Area  - City Proper  1285 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,553,873 almost 4,300,000 1. ... The Roman Senate (Latin, Senatus) was a deliberative body which was important in the government of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. ... Consul (abbrev. ... Publius Cornelius Scipio (died 211 BC) was a general and statesman of the Roman Republic. ... A modern reconstruction of a roman centurion around 70 AD The Roman legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army. ... The Battle of Ticinus (also Tichino or Techino) a battle of the Second Punic War fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Romans under Publius Cornelius Scipio in November 218 BC. It was the first battle to take place on Italian soil. ...

Before this could happen, Hannibal decided to lure Flaminius into a pitched battle, by devastating under his very own eyes the area he had been sent to protect. As Polybius tells us, “he [Hannibal] calculated that, if he passed the camp and made a descent into the district beyond, Flaminius (partly for fear of popular reproach and partly of personal irritation) would be unable to endure watching passively the devastation of the country but would spontaneously follow him ... and give him opportunities for attack.” ^[2]. At the same time, he tried to sever the allegiance of Rome’s allies, by proving that the Republic was powerless to protect them. Despite this, Hannibal found Flaminius still passively encamped at Arretium. Unable to draw Flaminius into battle by mere devastation, Hannibal marched boldly around his opponent’s left flank and effectively cut Flaminius off from Rome (thereby executing the first conscious turning movement in military history). The moral effect of this maneuver on Flaminius’s men, having the enemy between them and Rome and letting him devastate their countryside, as well as being restricted from battle, could not have been but frustrating for them. Still, Flaminius remained in camp with his army. Hannibal decided to move towards Apulia, hoping that Flaminius might, instead, follow him to a battlefield of his own choosing. Polybius (ca 203 BC - 120 BC, Greek Πολυβιος) was a Greek historian of the Mediterranean world famous for his book called The Histories or The Rise of the Roman Empire, covering the period of 220 BC to 146 BC. // Personal experiences As the former tutor of Scipio Aemilianus , the famous adopted... Church of Santa Maria della Pieve Arezzo is an old city in central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. ... Apulia (official Italian name: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. ...

Flaminius, too eager to exact revenge for the devastation of the countryside, and facing increasing political criticism from Rome, finally decided to march against Hannibal. Flaminius, like Sempronius, was of an impetuous and over-confident character, and lacked self-control. His advisors suggested that he send only a cavalry detachment to harass the Carthaginians and prevent them from laying waste to any more of the country, while reserving his main force until the other consul, Servilius, arrived with his army. However, it proved impossible to argue with the rash Flaminius. “Though every other person in the council advised safe rather than showy measures,” writes Livy, “urging that he should wait for his colleague, in order that joining their armies, they might carry on the war with united courage and counsels ... Flaminius, in a fury ... gave out the signal for marching for battle.” ^[3] A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ...

Battle

Tactical Disposition

As Hannibal passed Lake Trasimene, he came to a place very suitable for an ambush, and hearing that Flaminius had broken camp and was pursuing him, made preparations for the next impeding battle. To the north was a series of heavily forested hills where the Malpasso Road passed along the north side of Lake Trasimene. Along the hill-bordered skirts of the lake, Hannibal camped where he was in full view of any one entering the northern defile, and spent the night arranging his troops for battle. Below the camp, he placed his heavy infantry (Iberians, Celts, and Africans) upon a slight elevation. Here, they had been given ample charging ground from which they could rush down with effect, upon the head of the Roman column on the left flank, when it should reach the position ^[4]. His cavalry and Gallic infantry was concealed in the hills in the depth of the wooden valley from which the Romans would first enter, so that the they could quickly sally out and close the entrance, and prevent a means of retreat for the Romans. Then he posted his light troops at intervals along the height overlooking the plain, with orders to keep well hidden in the woods until signaled to attack. In addition, the night before the battle commenced Hannibal had ordered his men to light campfires on the hills of Tuoro, at a considerable distance, so as to convince the Romans that his forces were farther away than they actually were. Lake Trasimeno or Trasimene (in Italian: Lago Trasimeno), is the largest lake in peninsular Italy with a surface area of 128 km/sq, just slightly less than that of Lake Como. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers or marines who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ... The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians) were a Celtic people living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain and northern Portugal, before and during the Roman Empire. ... Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin Gallia, Greek Galatia) was the region of Western Europe occupied by present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ...

Events

From the Department of History, United States Military Academy

The next morning the Roman troops approached eastward along the road running across the northern edge of the lake. Eager for battle, Flaminius pushed his men mercilessly, and hurried up the column in the rear. Hannibal then sent a small skirmish force to draw their van away from the front of the line, allowing the rest of the Roman army time to set up for an assault to the east. As soon as Romans marched through a long, foggy and narrow valley and had entered the plains, trumpets had been blown and sounded the signal for attack. From that very moment, the Carthaginian cavalry and infantry came down from the surrounding hills with an enormous impact, sealed off the defile, and engaged the unsuspecting Romans from all sides. Surprised and outmaneuvered, Romans did not have time to draw up in the battle array they were accustomed to, and were forced to fight a helpless hand-to-hand battle in open order. The Romans were quickly split into three forces. The westernmost was attacked by the Carthaginian cavalry and were forced into the lake, thereby surrounding the other two groups. The center, including Flaminius, stood their ground, but were eventually cut down by Hannibal's Gauls after three hours of heavy combat. Image File history File links Battle_of_lake_trasimene. ... Image File history File links Battle_of_lake_trasimene. ... See also the town of Battle, East Sussex, England Generally, a battle is an instance of combat between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... A modern reconstruction of a roman centurion around 70 AD The Roman legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army. ...

In a brief space of three hours, the entire Roman army was annihilated. The van saw little combat throughout, and once the disaster to their rear became obvious, they cut their way through the skimishers and out of the forest. Only 6,000 men barely managed to cut their way to safety under the cover of the fog, but were later captured the following day. Of the remaining thirty thousand, half were either killed or drowned (including Flaminius himself) and the other half was captured. Hannibal losses, on the other hand, did not even exceed 1,500 men (a ratio of one Carthaginian for every ten Romans). But the disaster for Rome did not end there. Within a day or two, a reinforcement of four thousand Roman troops was intercepted, and they too were destroyed.

Aftermath

Other battles

Hannibal, emerging from another brilliant victory, had successfully laid and achieved the greatest ambush in history ^[5]. The news of the defeat caused a panic in Rome once news reached the city. Quintus Fabius Maximus was elected dictator by the Senate and adopted a "Fabian strategy" of avoiding conflict until Rome could restore its military strength. Hannibal was left largely free to ravage Apulia for the next year, until the Romans withdrew the dictatorship and elected Paullus and Varro as consuls. The result would be the Battle of Cannae, perhaps the worst defeat the Romans would suffer throughout the Second Punic War. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (484x744, 35 KB) Description: Second Punic War, Hannibal dominates Italy Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy [1] Date: - Author: Frank Martini. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (484x744, 35 KB) Description: Second Punic War, Hannibal dominates Italy Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy [1] Date: - Author: Frank Martini. ... Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (c. ... Dictator was a political office of the Roman Republic. ... The Roman Senate (Latin, Senatus) was a deliberative body which was important in the government of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. ... Fabian strategy is a military strategy that seeks to buy time and wear down an enemy. ... Apulia (official Italian name: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. ... Lucius Aemilius Paullus (d. ... Gaius Terentius Varro was a Roman consul and commander. ... For the eleventh century battle in the Norman conquest of the Mezzogiorno, see Battle of Cannae (1018) Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro Strength 40,000 heavy infantry, 6,000 light infantry, 8,000 cavalry 86,400–87,000 men (sixteen Roman and Allied...

Trivia

• Livy states that so terrible was the massacre at Lake Trasimene, that neither army was aware of the occurrence of an earthquake, which as the very moment of the battle “overthrew large portions of many of the cities of Italy, turned rivers, and leveled mountains with an awful crash” ^[6].
• An ancient tradition says that because of the blood, which for over three days filled the water, that the name of a small stream feeding the lake was renamed Sanguineto, the “Blood River” ^[7].

References

1. ↑ Cottrell, Leonard, Enemy of Rome, Evans Bros, 1965. ISBN 0237443201 (pbk)
2. ↑ Liddell Hart, Basil, Strategy, New York City, New York; Penguin Group; 1967
3. ↑ Dodge, Theodore. Hannibal, Cambridge, Massachusetts: De Capo Press, 1891 ISBN 0306813629
4. ↑ “Hannibal Barca and the Punic Wars” By Hilary Gowen

The military historian Basil Liddell Hart. ... Theodore Ayrault Dodge (28 May 1842–1909) was a Union officer in the American Civil War and a military historian of both that war and of the great generals of ancient and European history. ...