James Baquet Earlier this year, I wrote about the Battle of Lake Trasimene, saying that the slaughter of the Romans under Gaius Flaminius (half of the 30,000 Romans died in under four hours) had followed another such defeat “under Tiberius Sempronius Longus at Trebia, where only 10,000 of the 40,000 Romans survived.” Let’s look at Trebia today. Like the one at Lake Trasimene, this first defeat of the Second Punic War occurred at the hands of the wily Carthaginian general Hannibal. (“Punic” is an adjective form of “Phoenician,” which describes the forebears of the Carthaginians.) Although the date of the battle at Trebia isn’t known exactly, it occurred at this time of year, that is, on or near the winter solstice of 218 B.C., making Lake Trasimene an eerie echo, as it happened at the summer solstice of the following year, on June 21, 217 B.C. As was his wont, Hannibal used meticulous planning to effect the Romans’ defeat. After a chance encounter between some of his troops and the Romans, Hannibal withdrew without resolution, leaving Tiberius under the impression that he had won. In fact, Hannibal wanted to provoke Tiberius into engaging at a time and place of his choosing, where he was sure to have the upper hand. Tiberius became cocky as a result, seeking “a decisive battle as soon as possible.” A military historian later wrote: “The day was raw; snow was falling; the [Roman] troops had not yet eaten their morning meal.” Nevertheless, Tiberius “pushed them across the fords of the Trebia, with the water breast-high and icy-cold. Arriving on the farther side, the Roman soldiers were so chilled that they could scarcely hold their weapons. Hannibal was ready to receive them.” But instead of attacking while the Romans were only half across, Hannibal knew that his men’s morale would be raised if they won in a full-on frontal assault — which they did. As the Romans turned to run from the onslaught, some of Hannibal’s men hidden in ambush attacked their rear. Whether through slaughter, the effects of hypothermia or drowning in the river, only 25 percent of the 40,000 Romans survived the day to retreat to Placentia. Vocabulary: Which words above mean: 1. body temperature below normal 2. when the sun reaches its furthest north or south point 3. conclusion 4. aggressive attack 5. habit, common practice 6. clever, cunning 7. ancestors 8. uncanny, creepy 9. arrogant, over-confident 10. under the command of, on the orders of | 