A Novel Surprise in Rome

The Romans had already defeated carthage in the first punic war 20 odd years earlier. But an alie army marching into italy was a novel surprise and stirred rawest emotions. Legions were quickly despatched to the north to destroy hannibal. After a few skirmishes, an army under the roman consul sempronius longus prepared to meet the carthaginians in direct battle near the river trebia. Sempronius burned with both hatred and ambition. He wanted to crush hannibal and also to be seen as the saviour of rome. The romans fought bravely to get out of the trap that hannibal had laid for them