Battle of the Trebia
Part of the Second Punic War
Date 18 December 218 BC Location Trebbia River, Italy Result Carthaginian victory
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 War, fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Roman Republic in 218 BC. Combatants Image:SPQR-Stone. ... Download high resolution version (1022x597, 73 KB)A map of the Battle of the Trebia, from A Short History of Rome to the Death of Augustus by J. Wells, 1926. ... In the Gregorian Calendar, December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years), at which point there will be 13 days remaining to the end of the year. ... 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: 223 BC 222 BC 221 BC 220 BC 219 BC - 218 BC - 217 BC 216 BC... Categories: Stub ... Ruins of Roman-era Carthage For other uses, see Carthage (disambiguation). ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar Barca, (247 BC – c. ... Tiberius Sempronius Longus (c. ... 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. ... The Battle of Lilybaeum was a battle during the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage. ... 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 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 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, // Introduction 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. ... The Battle of the Silarus was fought in 212 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman force led by Praetor M. Centenius Penula. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gnaeus Fulvius Strength Around 20,000-30,000 18,000 Casualties Minor 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... 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 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. ... 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 Utica was fought between Carthaginian forces led by Hamilcar Barca, and a group of rebellious mercenaries. ... 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... Image:Trebbia. ... Combatants Image:SPQR-Stone. ... Ruins of Roman-era Carthage For other uses, see Carthage (disambiguation). ... Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar Barca, (247 BC – c. ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... 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: 223 BC 222 BC 221 BC 220 BC 219 BC - 218 BC - 217 BC 216 BC...

Prelude

Hannibal began the Second Punic War in 219 BC by attacking the Roman-allied city of Saguntum, in modern Spain. After capturing the city, he marched on Italy, leading a force of approximately 40,000 men and dozens of war elephants towards Italy via an inland route, crossing over the Alps. While he lost a large portion of his forces, those who survived the journey were the most hardened and elite of Hannibal’s army. The Carthaginian force made it through the mountains successfully, winning a small battle at the river Ticinus. The Roman Senate, appalled by the early setback at Ticinus, ordered the consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus, who was stationed in Sicily, to reinforce the existing Roman general, Publius Cornelius Scipio, who had been wounded during the battle. Hannibal, by skillful maneuvers, was in position to head him off, for he lay on the direct road between Placentia and Ariminum, by which Sempronius would have to march in order to reinforce Scipio. But he then captured Clastidium, to resupply his forces; Sempronius took advantage of Hannibal's distraction, slipped around his flank, and joined his colleague in the Roman camp near the Trebia River, flowing from the Apennines into the nearby Po. Hannibal now had no choice but to fight both consuls, and set about luring Sempronius, whose rashness and impulsiveness he knew too well, into a pitched battle on equal terms, before the more cautious Scipio could recover from his wounds and assume command. 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: 224 BC 223 BC 222 BC 221 BC 220 BC - 219 BC - 218 BC 217 BC... Saguntum, now Sagunt, (Castilian Sagunto) is an ancient city in the fertile district of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia in eastern Spain. ... Charging elephants caused terror and panic, and their thick hides made them difficult to injure or kill. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... 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... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ... Tiberius Sempronius Longus (c. ... Publius Cornelius Scipio (died 211 BC) was a general and statesman of the Roman Republic. ... 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... Piacenza (Placentia in Latin and old-fashioned English, Piasëinsa in the local dialect of Emiliano-Romagnolo) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. ... Rimini is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. ... Clastidium (mod. ... Image:Trebbia. ... The Apennine Mountains (Greek: Απεννινος; Latin: Appenninus--in both cases used in the singular; Italian: Appennini) is a mountain range stretching 1000 km from the north to the south of Italy along its east coast, traversing the entire peninsula, and forming, as it were, the backbone of the country. ... The Po (Latin: Padus, Italian: Po) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ...

Battle

Preparation

The December of 218 BC was particularly cold and snowy. Scipio was still recovering from his wounds but Sempronius was spoiling for a fight. Eager to come to blows with Hannibal before Scipio could recover and assume command –and particularly as the time for the election of new consuls was drawing near—Sempronius took measures looking for a general engagement, disregarding Scipio's caution to beware of Hannibal ^[1]. Unfortunately for Sempronius, Hannibal was aware of this, and prepared a plan to take advantage of Sempronius' impetuosity. Hannibal's force was camped across the cold and swollen Trebia River.^[2] He had noticed, says Polybius, a “place between the two camps, flat indeed and treeless, but well adapted for an ambuscade, as it was traversed by a water-course with steep banks, densely overgrown with brambles and other thorny plants, and here he proposed to lay a stratagem to surprise the enemy” ^[3]. Hannibal, having ascertained by the use of several Gallic spies the whereabouts of his opponents, which he had deemed essential, sent a chosen detachment of 1,000 light infantry and 1,000 sacred band cavalry under the command of his younger brother Mago, to conceal themselves in the underbush among the streambeds along the Trebia under the cover of night, and prepare an ambush for the Romans. Then, the following morning, he sent his cavalry beyond the Trebia to harass the nearby Roman camp and retreat, so as to lure the Romans into a position from which Mago’s hidden detachment could strike at the opportune moment. Polybius (c. ... 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. ... 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. ... Mago Barca (also spelled Magon) (243 BC - 203 BC), brother of the Carthaginian General Hannibal, he played a major role in the Second Punic War against Rome. ... An ambush is a long established military tactic in which an ambushing force uses concealment to attack an enemy that passes its position. ...

Events

No sooner had the cavalrymen shown up in the vicinity of the Roman camp, than Sempronius sent out his cavalry to drive them off, and shortly afterwards, recklessly sent his entire army of 36,000 Roman infantry, 4,000 allied equites auxilia (light auxiliary cavalry), and 3,000 Gallic auxiliaries, towards battle. He was impatient to gain what appeared to him to be victory, though unaware of the trap set for him. The day was raw, snow was falling, the Romans had not yet eaten their morning meal, and by the time the legions had crossed the Trebia fords the men were exceedingly tired and chilled.^[2] The Carthaginians on the other hand, had fed themselves well, and anointed themselves in oil before their campfires. Hannibal now arranged his army on a field of his own choosing. He positioned 1,000 light infantry as skirmishing line, and behind them, he placed the main battle line of 20,000 infantry of Libyan, Spanish, Gallic, and Celtic mercenary infantry, with 10,000 light shock cavalry and some fifteen elephants split between the two flanks. Sempronius arranged his army in the standard Roman three-line formation, throwing out the velites (Roman skirmish infantry) to the front, and placing the cavalry on the flanks, while the Gallic warriors, who were allied to Rome, were placed on the left of the legions. 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. ... Charging elephants caused terror and panic, and their thick hides made them difficult to injure or kill. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Roman legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) is a term that can apply both as a transliteration of legio (conscription or army) to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly (and more commonly), to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of...

Battle of the Trebia plan. ██ Carthaginians ██ Romans

The light infantry screen first clashed, but the velites performed poorly and they were withdrawn. After the velites retired through the gaps in the Roman line, the hastati and principes (heavy-armed infantry or legionaries) took their place and engaged in a struggle with their opponents. As the opposing heavy infantry remained locked in a severe hand-to-hand struggle, the Carthaginian cavalry and elephants attacked the Roman cavalry, whom they greatly outnumbered. Gradually, the Roman cavalry wings were pushed farther and farther back, leaving their infantry, whom they intended to protect, more and more exposed ^[3]. Meanwhile, Hannibal had dispatched forward all his war elephants to attack the Gallic allies on the extreme Roman left, who, having never seen such creatures before, were quickly demoralized and retreated. After the Roman cavalry had been driven off the field, the Carthaginian cavalry fell savagely on the Romans on their unprotected flanks, hindering them from dealing with the enemy foot soldiers who faced them ^[3]. At the same time, Mago’s hidden force emerged from the ambush and fell upon the rear of the hard-pressed Roman infantry. With their morale already sapped by cold, hunger and fatigue, the Romans broke under this fresh onslaught and then finally collapsed under intense pressure.^[4] Image File history File links Battle_trebia. ... Image File history File links Battle_trebia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The plural of the Latin word princeps. ...

What had once been a line of determined fighting soldiers became a mob of helpless men, whose only remaining strength was in their legs. Thousands were cut down on the spot and trampled by elephants, and many more drowned attempting to cross the river to safety. Trapped in between Hannibal’s forces, the Romans were quickly routed, losing more than a third of their forces. The vanguard of Sempronious’s center had a more fortunate fate. Having been forced to advance by pressure from the rear, the Romans in the center actually defeated the troops opposing them, and managed to break through the Carthaginian line, advancing so far that they became separated from their wings. However, seeing that both their flanks had been driven from the field, these men retired in good order to the nearby town of Placentia. This resulted in Hannibal’s first great victory over the Romans.

Aftermath

The Romans, stunned and dismayed by Sempronius’s 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 Geminus and Gaius Flaminius, the latter of which would lead the Roman army to the debacle at Lake Trasimene. Gnaeus Servilius Geminus (d. ... 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 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...

Trivia

This battle is featured in the demo of videogame Rome: Total War as well as being a historical battle in the full game itself. Rome: Total War is a grand strategy computer game where players fight historical and fictious battles during the era of the Roman Republic, from 270 BCE to 14 CE. The game was developed by Creative Assembly and released on September 22, 2004. ...

It was also the first battle in the series Time Commanders Time Commanders is a series of programmes made by Lion TV for BBC Two. ...

References

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. ...

External links

• Battle of the Trebia