by Valerius Claudius Iohanes on Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:46 am
Salvete has litteras legentes Romani omnes -
The Fasti for Saturday, 6/21/08, Dies Saturnis -
FASTI: ante diem XI Kalendas Quintiles [C], 6/21/2008
- C: Comitialis: Comitia, yes; Courts, yes.
This day, from the SVR Calendar:
- Battle of Lake Trasimene, 217 BCE.
Battle of Lake Trasimeno: Hannibal Barca's army destroys the Roman Army commanded by Consule Gaius Flaminius. Hannibal had maneuvered around Flaminius's army as he waited in camp for the arrival of the other consul, Gnaeus Servilius Geminus, and his forces. Finally, with Hannibal devastating the land, and Hannibal having cut Flaminius's communications to Rome, the rash Flaminius champing at the bit, and Germinus nowhere in sight, Flaminius bid his commanders march East to deal with Hannibal. Their route took them by Lake Trasimeno, along a narrow plain whose other border was the hills behind it. Contact was reported by the Roman vanguard, but the Roman force stayed strung out along the relatively narrow plain by the water. Then, as Hannibal's men "held them by the nose", the remaining weight of his forces emerged from the hills to the Roman's left, to the north, and "kicked them in the ass", as Patton would say - and in the spleen and kidneys, as it were. The surprise, the good ground, and the vulnerable formation of the Roman army all lent advantage to the Carthaginian-led army, and Flaminius's force was destroyed. It was a signal disaster for Roman arms, but it would not be the worst -- that would come later at Cannae.
Dii vos incolumes custodiant!
Valerius Claudius Iohannes
Curator anno MMDCCLXII
Centurio Honorarius Societatis
Civis ab MMDCCLIV
:: Adversitas bono viro intelligentiam docet. ::