Battle of Geronium 217 BC - Hannibal (Part 10) - Second Punic War

 

Just as the sun rose over the plain beneath Geronium, the guards woke up Minucius… Hannibal was just outside the camp.

 For the second time Hannibal positioned himself on the ridge, from where he could observe all activities in the Roman camp.

 Minucius was not about to allow him to control the engagement.

 The Romans advanced confidently, having previously driven Hannibal back from the same ridge and forced him to retreat to his main camp.

 Minucius was now determined to finish the job.

 But this time, Hannibal was ready.

 As the Roman light infantry crashed into the Carthaginian line, it seemed like their push will again drive back the enemy.

 But just as his men began giving ground, Hannibal reinforced the line with troops hiding just beyond the ridge.

 Minucius responded by sending the Roman and allied cavalry up the hill.

 From his vantage point it seemed that the Carthaginians have just about enough men to hold off his light infantry and he was determined to break the stalemate.

 But as the Roman cavalry closed in, Hannibal called upon his Numidian and Spanish riders ,who poured over the ridge.

 What seemed until now like another skirmish turned into a proper battle.

 Outnumbered, the Roman line quickly lost ground and was pushed back down the hill.

 With his cavalry fully engaged, Minucius was now unable to scout the battlefield for potential ambushes.

 Nevertheless, he ordered his legions forward, fearing that his troops in the front will get overrun.

 However, what the Roman general didn’t realize, is that he was sending his men straight into a trap.

 During the previous night, Hannibal led 5000 Lybians and up to 1000 cavalry, dispersing his men in groups of 200-300, ordering them to conceal themselves in the ravines, hollows, stream beds and treelines to the north and south of the ridge.

 The skill and discipline of Hannibal’s troops was evident in the flawless execution of this potentially dangerous operation.

 And now, as Minucius’ heavy infantry advanced up the hill, they collided with the overwhelmed Roman cavalry and light infantry, losing their cohesion.

 At that moment, Hannibal signalled his concealed troops to attack!

 From the mountain slopes across the river to the north, and the ravines to the south, Libyan infantry and cavalry leapt forward!

 Some 3km away, Fabius could see that another disaster was looming.

 Left with no choice but to help the embattled troops, he ordered his men forward.

 Back in the valley, thousands of Roman troops were being mauled in yet another perfectly executed ambush.

 The sequence and timing of events over the past 24 hours, all planned and orchestrated by Hannibal, so as to lure Minucius into sending his cavalry early on in the battle, thereby depriving him of the ability to scout the vast battlefield, which prevented him from discovering the hidden Carthaginian troops, ultimately resulting in his entire army being ambushed.

 By now, many Romans gave up and fled, fearing another full encirclement.

 Seeing Fabius marching down towards the valley, Hannibal reportedly said:

 “That cloud on the mountains has broken into a storm at last!” Finishing off those who weren’t able to escape, Hannibal ordered his troops not to pursue, turning his army back towards the main camp.

 He did not want a battle of attrition against a numerically superior enemy, half of which were rested troops, while his own troops grew tired after hours of fighting.

 Having defeated the Romans yet again, Hannibal began settling-in for the winter at Geronium.

 Meanwhile, the humiliated Minucius returned supreme command to Fabius, hailing him as his father, as a show of respect.

 Fabius, for his part, reinstated Minucius as his second-in-command,

 treating him with utmost consideration.

 As the year drew to a close, the Roman army stayed at a respectful distance from the Carthaginians, though sporadic skirmishes between scouting parties and foragers continued throughout the winter.

 Meanwhile in Spain, the Roman strategy of putting more pressure on Carthage continued, as the Scipio brothers pushed south of the Ebro for the first time, successfully persuading a handful of Iberian tribes to join the Roman cause.

 This caused grave concern for the Carthaginian authorities, who sought to restore their popularity with the tribes by organizing the return of the hostage children, belonging to the tribal nobility, until now held at Saguntum to keep the Iberians loyal.

 The Punic commander of the city entrusted an influential Iberian noble Abelox with returning the hostage children to their parents.

 However, in a stroke of luck for the Romans, Abelox instead brought the children to them as gifts, and was handsomely rewarded.

 The Scipio brothers subsequently took it upon themselves to return the children to several tribal leaders, taking credit for their rescue.

 This resulted in massive support for the Roman cause from the Iberian tribes between Saguntum and the Ebro .

 Back in Italy, Fabius’ six-month term expired and the Senate did not renew his dictatorial powers, giving temporary command to consuls Servillus Geminus and Marcus Atilius Regulus until the following elections resumed, in just a few months’ time.

 And now, as the year 216 BC rolled around, a Roman army of unprecedented size was being raised, as the Senate prepared to mount a major effort to engage and destroy Hannibal once and for all…