Causes of the Second Punic War & the battles of
Ticinus, Trebia & Lake Trasimene
The Second Punic War also known as The Hannibalic War, lasted from 218 – 202 BC, involving
combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean.
This was the second major war between Carthage with the aid of the Berbers & the Roman Republic.
Hannibal’s father enforced him to promise an “undying hatred towards Rome”. -Livy
Carthage decision to concentrate on controlling Spain gained direct control over its mineral
resources and was able mount an army of the inhabitants to go against the Roman Legions,
starting the Second Punic War.
Carthage failed to supply Hannibal with reinforcements and Rome began to attack Carthage
through their stronger and more experienced Roman army.
The Peace Treaty:

Carthage was asked to evacuate Sicily, Aegadian Islands and the small islands that lay
between Sicily and Africa.
•
They had to return all Roman prisoners of war to Rome without ransom, but make a huge
payment for their own people.
•
The Carthaginians were not permitted to attack Syracuse and her allies, and the allies of
both Rome and Carthage were not allowed to make war on each other.
•
Aeolian Islands and Ustica, north of Sicily that belonged to Carthage were to be under
Rome’s control.
•
On top of this, Carthage was to pay a fine of 2200 talents or 2,200,000 crowns annually for
ten years.
The Battle of Ticinus
Scipio settled into a military defence base on the right bank of the Po river while Hannibal camped
out along the Po river.
After two days both Hannibal and Scipio adopted similar tactics. The tactic was to test the strength
and force of the enemy. Hannibal took the majority of his 6000 cavalry that remained after crossing
the treacherous alps, while Scipio assigned all of his cavalry and a small portion of velites (light
infantry armed with javelins).
This last minute decision making costed Scipio the battle and almost his life after his eighteen year
old son.

Hannibal and his army defeated the Roman forces regardless of how outnumbered they
were.

Scipio acknowledged the massacre Hannibal was to impose, the next day with his army, so
he fled the camp during midnight through the bridge of the Ticino River and was in Piacenza
before Hannibal knew he left.

Hannibal followed the Roman trail that led to 600 of Scipio’s men.

The day after, 2200 Gallic allies accommodating in the Roman camp attacked the Romans in
their tents on the verge of sleep, decapitated them and retreated back to the Carthaginian
camp.

Scipio once again left the camp pre-emptive of the consequences and arrived on the right
bank of the Po to the south-west keeping the river between him and Hannibal.
The Battle of Trebia
Carthaginian forces
Romans (Tiberius Sempronius Longus)
of Hannibal
20,000 Infantry
36,000 Infantry
10,000 Cavalry
4,000 Cavalry
2 War Male Elephants (Known to
Scare Female Elephants)
Well-nourished and healthy.
Severely cold & without food
Carthaginians:
Romans:
5,000 (16%)
30,000 (75%)
Both armies retreated to their quarters for rest after battle. Sempronius having to face defeat told
the roman Senate that he had entered battle but was unable to achieve victory due to the “poor”
weather. Scipio and Sempronius were replaced as consuls. Their successors weren't any different as
they faced defeat in the next battle, The Battle of Lake Trasimene.
The Battle of Lake Trasimene
Carthaginians of Hannibal
Romans led by Sempronius
22,000 Infantry
36,000 Infantry
8,000 Cavalry
4,000 Cavalry
Well nourished and healthy
Severely cold and ill
The Battle of Lake Trasimene was a Roman defeat in the Second Punic War between the
Carthaginians under Hannibal and the Romans under the consul Gaius Flaminius. The battle is one of
the largest and most successful ambushes in military history.

The Carthaginians led by Hannibal travelled across the Appenine and Arnus marshes.
Hannibal eventually outmaneuvers both armies led by the consuls and avoids any linkage
between the two. Gaius Flaminius, marches south in order to seek battle and ultimately
obtains all the glory for defeating Hannibal.

If victory is attained by Hannibal this will allow him to establish a base closer to the Roman
capital. On the other hand, if Rome were to be victorious then this would deny the
Carthaginians a secure base close to the Roman capital.

Hannibal took down the daily mist from the lake and used it to surprise Flaminius. Roman
legionnaires panicked and were slaughtered by the sudden planned striking power of the
Carthaginian combined arms attack. The site Hannibal chose for the ambush ensured that if
successful, the Roman army would be pinned against the lake and annihilated.
Carthaginians
Romans:
1,500 (5%)
30,000 (75%)
Hannibal was able to achieve one of the most famous ambushes in history allowing him to be
victorious in the battle. The Roman Senate appointed Quintus Fabius as Dictator since Rome was
facing defeat with every battle. Fabius aka “Delayer” was known to avoid Hannibal in multiple
ambushes and tactics that managed Rome to create an army of 87,000 soldiers.