Sempronius loses a big one.
You have changed History! The Romans had all the advantages by waiting
Hannibal out. He had limited resources and allies, where the Romans
could draft reinforcements and pull in supplies any time they wished.
Time was on the Roman side, but Sempronius' desire to prove himself a worthy
General gave that advantage away. If he had waited, the Romans would
have done better, but that's not the historical action. Scroll down.
Sempronius
was so excited by his success that he roused his entire army, and attacked
Hannibal's forces, which were retreating rapidly now. Onward he charged,
confident of success and glory. He drove the Carthaginians back across
the river, and into a field of tall grass. His success was coming
so swiftly now that he felt the entire war might come to an end soon. One lesson we should learn about
Hannibal is that he seldom takes any action without considering all the
possibilities, and cloaking his true motive in some sort of ruse.
This occasion was no different. The entire scenario had been planned
by Hannibal in advance. He knew from spies that Sempronius was overanxious,
and required only a little success to cause him to stumble forward blindly.
Hannibal had sent only a small force to attack Sempronius' camp, concealing
his cavalry and major forces in the high grasses across the river.
When the Romans pursued the Carthaginians across the river, they emerged
cold and soaking wet. Now, surrounded by well-fed and rested troops,
the Romans could not fight effectively. Hannibal's men were decisively
victorious, and many Romans drowned in the river attempting to escape.
Sempronius' impetuosity had cost him the battle, and made the future cloudy
indeed. Now, we get what should be an easy
choice.
Following
this great disaster, the Roman consuls were forced into an immediate decision.
They must choose whether to remain in position in an attempt to restrict
Hannibal's movements, or to retreat to Rome for rest during winter and
time to reinforce their army. Winter was now full upon them, making
supplies and food even harder for Hannibal to acquire. Going home,
though would give Hannibal free run of the countryside. What would
you do?