Sunday, June 24, 2007
This Day in the History of Roman Defeats
On this day in 217 B.C., in the Battle of Lake Trasimeno, Hannibal defeated the Romans during the Second Punic War. It was a huge defeat. At least 15,000 Romans were killed and more probably 30,000 while perhaps only 1,500 Carthaginians died. The road to Rome lay open. Unfortunately, Hannibal had neither the patience or the skills to lay seige to the city itself and so just ravaged Italy and kicked Roman ass (Cannae was next year--50,000 Romans killed) until he needed to go home.
Labels: Roman Defeats
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:56 AM 
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The usual excuse for Hannibal failing to capture Roman cities is that he didn't have a siege train. He was in Italy for 14 years, and I suspect that even in the third century BCE*, there were trees in Italy.
It is largely for that reason that Hannibal heads my list of "Most Overrated Generals". Next on that list is R.E. Lee, who did as well on defense as Meade and as well on offense as Hooker.
ps. Is "Trasimeno" a Vulgate spelling? I've usually seen it as "Trasimene".
* PC abbreviation used purely because I'm feeling contrary this morning.
It is largely for that reason that Hannibal heads my list of "Most Overrated Generals". Next on that list is R.E. Lee, who did as well on defense as Meade and as well on offense as Hooker.
ps. Is "Trasimeno" a Vulgate spelling? I've usually seen it as "Trasimene".
* PC abbreviation used purely because I'm feeling contrary this morning.
Rome had big thick walls and I'm guessing Carthaginian siege science wasn't as advanced as the Romans. Lee was better than you let on, but he was far from perfect.
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