Battle of the Trebia
Trebia River near Piacenza, northern Italy
What happened
Hannibal's Carthaginian army fought a Roman army led by the consul Sempronius Longus. Hannibal had crossed into northern Italy. He sent his Numidian horsemen to tempt the Romans out of their camp and onto ground he had chosen. His cavalry drove back the Roman horsemen and a hidden force struck from behind; about 10,000 Romans fought their way out to the town of Placentia, but most of the army was lost.
Why it matters
It was the first major battle of the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage. Afterwards Gallic tribes joined Hannibal, and his army grew to about 60,000 over the winter.
What came next
Hannibal won again at Lake Trasimene in 217 BCE and at Cannae in 216 BCE. The war ended when he was defeated at Zama in 202 BCE.
Did you know?
Hannibal set out from Iberia with 37 war elephants, and some were still with him at the Trebia.
Timeline
- 22 or 23 December 218 BCEBattle of the Trebia.
- 217 BCEBattle of Lake Trasimene.
- 216 BCEBattle of Cannae.
- October 202 BCEBattle of Zama ends the war.