Battle+of+Lake+Trasimene

It was the year 217 B.C. Hannibal was wandering through Northern Italy. He raided towns for food and weapons and rested his troops and animals while the Romans went to find places to rest for the winter. There would not be many battles until spring came. In the spring, Hannibal gathered his army and marched south towards the city of rome. The Apennine Mountains separated Hannibal and Rome. Hannibal chose the fastest route possible, over the mountains. The trip was okay until they got into the marshlands around the Arno River. The men and animals had to walk through deep muck. The only place they could rest was on top of the horses that died. Hannibal lost an eye on this part of the trip and had to be carried on the one surviving elephant.
 * Hannibal - The Battle of Lake Trasimene**

They got to a big field a few hundred miles north of Rome and Hannibal told his army to stop. To the right of the field was Lake Trasimene. To the left of the field was a big ring of hills. Hannibal camped at the far end of the field. The Romans came and camped at the other end of the field. At night, Hannibal moved most of his troops behind the hills but left the tents there to make the Romans think they were still sleeping. The next morning the Romans went to attack and Hannibal sent out his remaining men at the camp forward to meet the Romans. Then he launched his ambush. The Numidian cavalry cut off the Romans so they could not escape. The Romans were led by a consul named Flaminius. He was walking right into Hannibal's trap. Flaminius and 15,000 of his men died in the battle. The Romans that surrendered in chains and fed only enough to keep them alive. The non-romans were sent home to tell the villages what happened.