Blog 9 Trebia

So Rome was in great alarm by the sudden realization that they were out flanked by Hannibal and rightfully so because most of their armies were in Spain or Sicily at this point of the war. Tiberius Longus, the other consul who was in Sicily planning for an invasion of North Africa, was recalled by the senate to go help his co-consul Scipio in the north[1].

So Scipio and Hannibal engaged in cavalry battle. Hannibal, having superior numbers and quality of horsemen, routed the Roman force rather quickly.  Scipio himself was wounded during the battle and was saved by his 17 year old son of the same name. Scipio Jr, later known as Scipio Africanus, will be important later in the war. There is another story that Scipio was saved by a slave which is just as possible as his son saving him[2].

Previous battle 

In December, Longus arrived with his army to help Scipio. Hannibal withdrew to the Trebia River, not wanting to face the Romans on ground that he did not choose.  The Romans followed him but little did they know that they were playing into his hands. According to Polybius, who was patron of the household of Scipio, Longus wanted to fight quickly and win glory. I don’t know if this is true because Polybius would try to make his patrons look as good as possible and shift the blame if he could.  So it’s possible that Longus was a man seeking only glory but it also possible that he honestly tried his best and that Polybius brushed him aside as a glory seeking idiot for the crime of not being a Scipio.

Anyway, Hannibal picked one side of the river banks and Romans camped on the other side. However Hannibal sent a group of 1000 cavalry and 1000 infantry led by his brother Mago where plants were overgrown on the banks. He sent 500 Numidian cavalry to the Roman camp to provoke an engagement. Like Hannibal predicted, Longus ordered his army to get ready to fight as quickly as possible. The Roman mobilized at dawn and crossed the river. So by the time they got across, they were tried, cold, wet, and hungry as they didn’t eat before they mobilized. The Carthaginian forces were well prepared and fed. Both sides had around 40,000 infantry. Hannibal’s cavalry bested the Romans due to being  quicker, better trained, and more numerous which caused the Romans to leave their flanks open. At this point Mago led his ambush and attacked the Roman army’s rear[3]. The Romans at this point were surrounded. About 10,000 Romans escaped the battle. Hannibal had won a significant victory and took out a large portion of the Roman army. With almost 30,000 Romans dead he had enough proof to bring the Gauls into his army now. Hannibal had lost around 4000 to 5000 troops by comparison.   Longus claimed that defeat came from the bad weather but few believe if.[4]

Battle of Trebia. 4 is Mago. 2 is Roman cavalry 

However the Romans had a respite with the winter.  Hannibal’s army lost a significant portion of their men to the cold including all but one elephant and spent the majority of his time trying to get food.  So the war effectively halted until the spring. This gave Rome some much needed time to prepare but would it do any good? Find out in the next blog.

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[1] Miles, 269.

[2] Livy 21.46

[3] Goldsworthy  173-181

[4] Polybius  3.68