Battle of Lake Trasimene: summaryYou can also see a video here.For a summary of the Second Punic War

Battle of Lake Trasimene: summaryYou can also see a video here.For a summary of the Second Punic War click hereInthe early morning of 24 June 217, consul Flaminius ordered his army to proceedfrom its camp (near the modern railroad station of Terontola) to the TrasimeneLake, which was reached east of modern Borghetto. From here, the legionariesfollowed an enemy they believed to be half a day to the east. However, Hannibalhad ordered his army to occupy the hills along the lake.Theslopes were covered with forests and an early morning fog, which creeps up fromthe lake before sunrise, covered the landscape. Too late, the Romans realizedthat they had marched into a trap. This picture above shows what thebattlefield from the northeast: this is more or less what Hannibal would haveseen had there been no fog. The Roman army marched into the trap along the roadbetween the lake and the hill you can see in the background.TheRomans could not move to the south, because the lake is too big to swim across;they could not continue to the east, where light-armed men blocked the roadnear the modern town Tuoro sul Trasimeno; return was impossible, because theCelts in Hannibal’s army blocked the retreat; the only thing the Romans coulddo was prepare for battle and fight to an enemy charging from the north.However, the auxiliaries at the end of the column were completely destroyed atthe beginning of the battle, and the Romans were from the very start of thebattle under great pressure from their left and right. After about two or threehours, the two legions were annihilated and Flaminius had met a hero’s death.Atleast 15,000 men were killed. One group that had managed to break through theCarthaginian lines and had marched to the east, was later rounded up byHannibal’s superior cavalry. The Roman allies who were taken captive receivedfavorable terms, because Hannibal hoped to destroy the system of Romanalliances. However, during the next days, the Carthaginian general discoveredthat he had not reached this strategic aim yet: even after he had defeated theadvance guard of the army of the other Roman consul near modern Assisi, thistown refused to surrender.InRome, Quintus Fabius Maximus was appointed as dictator, and he tried to wearout the Carthaginians. This was a successful tactic, but the consuls of 216decided to attack the invader head-on. Although the result was the disaster atCannae, after which a part of the Roman alliance did indeed begin to collapse,the allies remained loyal, just like Assisi had been after the Roman defeat atLake Trasimene. -- source link

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