Battle of the Metaurus
Part of the Second Punic War
Date 207 BC Location Metaurus River, Marche, Italy Result Decisive Roman victory
Combatants
Carthage	Roman Republic
Commanders
Hasdrubal Barca †	Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Porcius Licinus
Strength
unknown	Livius: 2 city legions, Nero: 6,000 foot, 1,000 horse, Licinus: 2 legions
Casualties
57,000 killed, 5,400 prisoners	8,000 killed

The Battle of the Metaurus was a pivotal battle in the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, fought in 207 BC near the Metaurus River in Italy. Combatants Image:SPQR-Stone. ... Battles of the Second Punic War Created by Panairjdde with GMT (Generic Mapping Tools, gmt. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC - 200s BC - 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC Years: 212 BC 211 BC 210 BC 209 BC 208 BC - 207 BC - 206 BC 205 BC... The Metauro River (in Latin Metaurus or Mataurus) of Italy rises in the Apennine Mountains of Tuscany and runs east for 109 km, reaching the Adriatic south of Fano. ... // The Marche (plural, originally le marche de Ancona = the Marches of Ancona) are a region of Central Italy, bordering Emilia-Romagna north, Tuscany to the north-west, Umbria to west, Abruzzo and Latium to the south and the Adriatic Sea to the east. ... Carthage (Greek: , from the Phoenician meaning new town, Arabic: , Latin: ) refers both to an ancient city in North Africa located in modern day Tunis and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus Roman provinces on the eve of the assassination of Julius Caesar, c. ... Hasdrubal Barca (d. ... Marcus Livius Salinator (254 BC-c. ... Gaius Claudius Nero was a Roman consul who fought in the Battle of the Metaurus. ... Combatants Image:SPQR-Stone. ... Sagunt (Spanish Sagunto; Latin Saguntum) is an ancient city in Hispania, in the modern fertile district of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia in eastern Spain. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Unknown Amellius, Praetor of Sicily Strength 35 Quinqueremes 20 Quinqueremes and Triremes Casualties 7 ships captured Unknown The naval battle of Lilybaeum was the first naval clash between the navies of Carthage and Rome in the 2nd Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder Strength 6,000 cavalry unknown Casualties small small The Battle of Ticinus was 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... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Tiberius Sempronius Longus Strength 10,000 cavalry, 28,000 infantry and thirty elephants 36,000-38,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry Casualties Unknown, but low 20,000 The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hanno Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus Strength 10,000 infantry, 1,000 cavalry 20,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 2,200 cavalry Casualties 6,000 killed and 2,000 captured unknown, light // Introduction The Battle of Cissa is part of the Second Punic... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gaius Flaminius † Strength 30,000 soldiers 30,000-40,000 soldiers Casualties 1,500 soldiers 15,000 killed or drowned 15,000 captured The Battle of Lake Trasimeno (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Himilco Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus Strength Approximately 40 Quinqueremes Approximately 55 Quinqueremes and Triremes Casualties 4 sunk and 25 captured none sunk or captured Battle of Ebro river was a naval battle fought between a Carthaginian fleet of approximately 40 quinqueremes under Himilco and a... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Barca Quintus Fabius Maximus Strength 2,000 infantry, 2,000 Oxen, 2000 Camp Followers 4000 infantry, plus reserves Casualties Light 1000+ The Battle of Ager Falernus is part of the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders M. Minucius Rufus Quintus Fabius Maximus Hannibal Strength unknown unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Geronium was fought in 217 BC during the Second Punic War between Roman forces under M. Minucius Rufus and Hannibals Carthaginian army. ... For the 11th-century battle in the Byzantine conquest of the Mezzogiorno, see Battle of Cannae (1018). ... The First Battle of Nola was fought in 216 BC between the forces of Hannibal and a Roman force led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal Barca Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, Publius Cornelius Scipio Strength 25,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, 20 Elephants 30,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 3,000 cavalry Casualties Severe Heavy The Battle of Dertosa, also known as the ‘’’Battle of Ibera’’’, was... The Second Battle of Nola was fought in 215 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman Army under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal The Bald, Hampsicora Titus Manlius Torquatus Strength 15,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry +Sardinians (?) + Elephants (?) 20,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 1,200 cavalry Casualties Most killed or captured unknown, The Battle of Cornus, or Caralis took place when a Carthaginian... The Third Battle of Nola was fought in 214 BC between Hannibal and Roman army led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Tiberius Gracchus Hanno Strength unknown unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Beneventum was fought in 214 BC near modern Benevento during the Second Punic War. ... The First Battle of Capua was fought in 212 BC between Hannibal and a Roman army. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Marcus Centenius Penula â€  Casualties moderate entire army destroyed The Battle of the Silarus was fought in 212 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman force led by praetor Marcus Centenius Penula. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gnaeus Fulvius Strength 20,000-30,000 18,000 Casualties Minimal 16,000 The first Battle of Herdonia was fought in 212 BC during the Second Punic War between Hannibals Carthaginian army and Roman forces led by Praetor Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus, brother of... The Siege of Syracuse was fought from 214 BC to 212 BC between the rebellious city of Syracuse, and a Roman army under Marcellus sent to put down the citys rebellion. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal Barca Publius Cornelius Scipio† Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus† Strength 35,000 foot, 3,000 Numidians, 7,500 Spanish tribals 30,000 foot, 3,000 Horse + 20,000 Celt-Iberian mercenaries Casualties unknown- approximately 22,000 // Introduction The Battle of the Upper Baetis was fought... 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. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Marcus Livius Strength 10,000 unknown Casualties hardly any nearly all the army Hanibals assult on Tarentum Hannibal leaves for Southern Italy:The Romans had long been awaiting the chance to strike at Capua the revolted capital of the Campania region in Southern Italy... 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 Ilipa was a battle of the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Sempronius Tuditanus The Battle of Crotona was fought in 204 BC between Hannibals Carthaginian army, and a Roman force led by Sempronius Tuditanus. ... 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. ... The Battle of Cirta was a battle during the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage. ... The Po Valley Raid was a engagement during the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthaginian Commanders Scipio Africanus, Masinissa, Laeliu Hasdrubal, Syphax Casualties Unknown Rout of whole army The Battle of the Great plains Hasdrubal and Syphax had both succeded in escaping from their camps which the Roman general Scipio Africanus, and his Numidian allies Masinissa and Laeliu had destroyed. ... 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 20,000 killed 11,000 wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded... Combatants Image:SPQR-Stone. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... Carthage (Greek: , from the Phoenician meaning new town, Arabic: , Latin: ) refers both to an ancient city in North Africa located in modern day Tunis and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC - 200s BC - 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC Years: 212 BC 211 BC 210 BC 209 BC 208 BC - 207 BC - 206 BC 205 BC... The Metauro River (in Latin Metaurus or Mataurus) of Italy rises in the Apennine Mountains of Tuscany and runs east for 109 km, reaching the Adriatic south of Fano. ...

The Carthaginians were led by Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal Barca, who was supposed to bring the siege equipment and reinforcements needed in order for Hannibal to defeat Rome. The Roman armies were led by the consuls Marcus Livius, who would later be nicknamed the Salinator, and Gaius Claudius Nero. Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar Barca, (247 BC – ca. ... Hasdrubal Barca (d. ... Consul (abbrev. ... Marcus Livius Salinator (254 BC-c. ... Gaius Claudius Nero was a Roman consul who fought in the Battle of the Metaurus. ...

Claudius Nero had just fought Hannibal in Grumentum, some hundreds kilometers south of the Metaurus river, and reached Marcus Livius with a forced march which went unnoticed by both Hannibal and Hasdrubal, so that the Carthaginians suddenly found themselves outnumbered. The Battle of Grumentum was fought in 207 BC between Romans led by Gaius Claudius Nero, and Hannibals Carthaginian army. ...

Prelude

Hasdrubal's campaign to come to his brother's aid in Italy had gone remarkably well so far. After completely outmaneuvering Publius Scipio in Hispania and making his way into Gaul in the winter of 208, Hasdrubal had waited until the spring of 207 to make his way through the Alps and into Northern Italy. Hasdrubal made much faster progress than his brother had, partly due to the constructions left behind by Hannibal's army when he had passed via the same route a decade earlier, but also due to the removal of the Gallic threat that had plagued Hannibal during said expeditions. The Gauls now feared and respected the Carthaginians, and not only was Hasdrubal allowed to pass through the Alps unmolested, his ranks were bolstered by many enthusiastic Gauls. Hasdrubal, in the same fashion as his brother, succeeded in bringing his war elephants, raised and trained in Hispania, over the Alps. Publius Cornelius Scipio (died 211 BC) was a general and statesman of the Roman Republic. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Iberian Peninsula. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Indian war elephant, relief at Mathura, 2nd century BC War elephants were important, although not widespread, weapons in ancient military history. ...

Rome was still reeling from the devastating blows which Hannibal had landed on it in rapid succession ten years earlier, and the prospect of fighting two sons of "the Thunderbolt" (a rough translation of Hamilcar Barca's surname) at once terrified the Romans. The hastily elected consuls Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius were dispatched to face Hannibal and Hasdrubal respectively. Neither consul engaged his intended target initially. Claudius Nero's force of over 40,000 men was too formidable for Hannibal to engage openly, and so the two played an unproductive game of cat and mouse in Bruttium; meanwhile, Marcus Livius, despite the added bulwark of two of the many Roman armies scattered across Italy - yielded cautiously to Hasdrubal, allowed him to push beyond the Metaurus as far south as the town of Sena. Hamilcar Barca or Barcas (~270 – 228 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman, leader of the Barcid family, and father of Hannibal. ...

It was not until Hasdrubal sent messengers to Hannibal that decisive measures were taken. Hasdrubal wished to meet with his brother in South Umbria, and then lead a full-fledged assault on Rome, however, this was not to be. Hasdrubal's messengers were captured, and his plans laid in the hands of the consul Claudius Nero, who quickly departed to the North with 7,000 men, 1,000 of whom were cavalry, in order to meet with Marcus Livius. Claudius Nero, recognizing the urgency of the situation and the enormous threat that a merging of the Carthaginian brothers' armies would present to Rome, circumvented the authority of the Senate, instead advising them to organize levies for their own protection.

Union of the Two Consuls

Claudius Nero quickly reached Marcus Livius, who was camped at Sena along with the praetor Porcius. Hasdrubal was camped approximately a half-mile to the North, however, since Claudius Nero had conveniently arrived at night, his presence was not detected until the next day, when the Romans drew themselves up for battle. Hasdrubal drew his army up as well, but upon closer observation of the forces assembled before him, noticed that Marcus Livius' army seemed to have grown considerably over the course of the night, and that he had a much larger contingent of cavalry. Hasdrubal remembered hearing a trumpet in the Roman camp heralding the arrival of an important figure the night before - a sound he had become familiar with during his entanglements with the Romans in Hispania - and now correctly concluded that he was in fact facing both Roman consuls. Unnerved, he retired his troops from the field.

The rest of the day passed without event, for the Romans did not endeavour to advance on Hasdrubal's fortifications. When nightfall came, Hasdrubal quietly led his army out of his camp with the intent of retreating into Gaul, where he could safely establish communications with Hannibal. Early on in the march, however, Hasdrubal's guides betrayed him, and left him lost and confused along the banks of the Metaurus, searching with futility for a place to cross.

The night passed with no change in Hasdrubal's forces, and the morning found his army uncertain and confused, and a great many of his gallic troops drunk. With the Roman cavalry fast approaching and the legions under the two consuls not far behind, Hasdrubal reluctantly prepared for battle.

The Battle

The exact numbers of troops on both sides are not known. Hasdrubal's army is estimated to have been about 30,000 in strength, and Marcus Livius' initial army equal that, plus the 7,000 troops who had accompanied Claudius Nero. It is certain that Hasdrubal was indeed outnumbered, and that he was also very much lacking cavalry, of which the Romans had ample numbers. Nonetheless, he arranged his troops in the most practical manner available to him.

Like most Carthaginian armies, Hasdrubal's was a mish-mash of many different cultures and ethnicities, few of which were of African origins. Hasdrubal's best troops were Iberians, armed with shields and swords, and these troops he placed on his right flank along with the few African troops that he did have (not much is known about these troops - they may have been spearmen drawn from some Carthaginian territory, or from another part of Africa). In his center he drew up a formidable force of Ligures who were not as well-trained as the men on his right flank. Finally, on his left, he placed the disorderly Gauls, who he hoped would be shielded by the intraversable terrain (a deep ravine) in front of them. Hasdrubal also had ten elephants in his army. The Ligures (Ligurians) were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, which once stretched from Northern Italy into southern Gaul. ...

The Romans advanced on Hasdrubal in a very orderly fashion. Claudius Nero was given command of the Roman right flank, facing the inaccessible Gauls. It was Marcus Livius who initiated battle, charging the veteran Iberian infantry, and Porcius followed soon after by attacking Hasdrubal's Ligurians. The initial combat was favorable to Hasdrubal, whose elephants succeeded in breaking the Roman line and spreading mass confusion throughout Marcus Livius' troops. Hasdrubal's right wing held firmly, and his Ligurians, too, held their ground. Claudius Nero struggled to overcome the terrain that blocked his path to the unprepared Gauls on Hasdrubal's left, and, seeing the futility in wasting further time attempting to reach them, instead took some of his men and led them away from the Gauls, behind Marcus Livius and Porcius, who were preoccupied with battle, and marched to the extreme Roman left, swinging his troops around and crashing into the Iberians' flank with such sudden force and intensity that the Iberians panicked and fled in confusion, collapsing onto the Ligurians, who continued to fight until they were cut down.

Hasdrubal's only remaining forces, the Gauls, who were still totally unfit for combat following their activities the night before, were no longer protected by their sober comrades who had been guarding their flank. The Romans descended mercilessly upon them, meeting almost no resistance.

The Carthaginian general, seeing that there was nothing more he could do, and presumably doubtful of his own prospects of escape, or simply unwilling to be taken captive, charged into the thick of the nearly concluded battle and met a glorious, if pointless death.

Aftermath

Claudius Nero showed neither respect nor compassion for his fallen adversary following the battle of the Metaurus. He ordered Hasdrubal's head severed from his body, and had it thrown into Hannibal's camp as a sign of the brother's defeat.

Lord Byron wrote of the battle: Lord Byron, English poet Lord Byron (1803), as painted by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, (January 22, 1788 – April 19, 1824) was the most widely read English language poet of his day. ...

"The consul Claudius Nero, who made the unequalled march which deceived Hannibal and deceived Hasdrubal, thereby accomplishing an achievement almost unrivaled in military annals. The first intelligence of his return, to Hannibal, was the sight of Hasdrubal's head thrown into his camp. When Hannibal saw this, he exclaimed, with a sigh, that 'Rome would now be the mistress of the world.' To this victory of Claudius Nero's it might be owing that his imperial namesake reigned at all. But the infamy of the one has eclipsed the glory of the other. When the name of Claudius Nero is heard, who thinks of the consul? But such are human things."

Though history may not remember Nero the Consul, the effects of the battle he won and the Empire which it safeguarded are certainly well-known. With his brother dead and his soldiers routed or killed, and no hope of help from Carthage - which was too concerned with its own political battles to send him aid - Hannibal's dream of quenching his thirst for Roman blood by burning the capital to the ground were crushed. He remained in Italy for several years, unmolested by Rome, and attempted to maintain the loyalty of the Italian allies whom he had won early on in his campaign. He dared not face Rome again, either in direct action or in battles away from the city. It was not until Scipio Africanus led a campaign directly against Carthage that Hannibal left Italy. The two generals faced one another at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, where Hannibal, like his brother, faced a superior force, offered a good fight, and was ultimately defeated. 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 20,000 killed 11,000 wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded...

Had Hasdrubal succeeded in linking up with his brother, the outcome of the Second Punic War might have been very different. The addition of Hasdrubal's men to his ranks would have swelled Hannibal's army to a number great enough to lead a direct advance on Rome itself, and in the event of such a siege, it is quite possible that Hannibal's forces would have succeeded in taking the city. Even if Rome did not fall to Hannibal, the presence of the brothers' combined armies in Italy would only add to the political strife that already existed there, not to mention the anxiety that lingered throughout Rome. History is too unpredictable to say what might have happened had the Battle of the Metaurus not occurred; however, the fact that it did was clearly in the best interests of Rome.

The significance of the Battle of the Metaurus is recognized amongst historians. It is included in Edward Creasy's The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World (1851), the rationale being that it effectively removed the Carthaginian threat from Rome's ascendancy to global dominion by leaving Hannibal stranded in Italy. Like the Battle of Tours, however, the significance of the Battle of the Metaurus is greatly understated in most circles. It is very much overshadowed by other battles of the Second Punic War, such as Hannibal's awesome victory at the Battle of Cannae or his ultimate defeat at Zama. Nonetheless, the effects of Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius' victory at the Metaurus have earned it a significant standing amongst historians, not only in the history of Rome, but in that of the entire world. The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo is a book written by Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy and published in 1851. ... Combatants Carolingian Franks Umayyad Caliphate Commanders Charles Martel ‘Abd-al-Raḥmān al-Ghāfiqī† Strength Unknown, possibly 20,000 to 30,000 [1] Unknown, but the earliest Muslim sources, still after the era of the battle[2] mention a figure of 80,000. ... For the 11th-century battle in the Byzantine conquest of the Mezzogiorno, see Battle of Cannae (1018). ...

References

Appian of Alexandria (Gr. ... Image File history File links 15px-Gutenberg-logo_png. ... Cassius Dio Cocceianus (ca. ... Penguin Books is a British publisher founded in 1935 by Allen Lane. ... Eutropius was a pagan Roman historian of the later 4th century, writing in Latin, whose brief remarks about himself let us know that he had served under Emperor Julian the Apostate (ruled 361 - 363) and his history covers the reigns of Valentinian and Valens (died 378). ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... Florus, Roman historian, flourished in the time of Trajan and Hadrian. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Image File history File links LacusCurtius. ... Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... Image File history File links LacusCurtius. ... Polybius (c. ... The Harvard University Press is a publishing house, a division of Harvard University, that is highly respected in academic publishing. ... Image File history File links LacusCurtius. ... Valerius Maximus was a Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes. ... Image File history File links 15px-Gutenberg-logo_png. ... Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy (1812 - 1878), historian, was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and called to the Bar in 1837. ... Image File history File links LacusCurtius. ...

See also

• Battles of macrohistorical importance involving invasions of Europe