Battle of Petelia
Battle of Petelia | |||||||
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Part of the Second Punic War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Carthage | Roman Republic | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Hannibal | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
5,000 3,000 infantry 2,000 cavalry | 3,500+ | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 3,500 2,000 killed 1,500 captured |
- v
- t
- e
- Prelude
- Saguntum
- Rhone
- Crossing of the Alps
- Italy
- Ticinus
- Trebia
- Mutina
- Placentia
- Victumulae
- Lake Trasimene
- Umbrian Lake
- Crossing of the Apennines
- Ager Falernus
- Geronium
- Cannae
- Silva Litana
- 1st Nola
- Nuceria Alfaterna
- 1st Casilinum
- Hamae
- 1st Petelia
- Cumae
- 2nd Nola
- 1st Beneventum
- 3rd Nola
- 2nd Casilinum
- Lucania
- Arpi
- 1st Tarentum
- 2nd Beneventum
- Campi Veteres
- 1st Capua
- Silarus
- 1st Herdonia
- 2nd Capua
- Rome
- Sapriportis
- 2nd Herdonia
- Numistro
- Canusium
- Manduria
- Caulonia
- 2nd Tarentum
- Locri
- 2nd Petelia
- Venusia
- Grumentum
- Metaurus
- Crotona
- Insubria
- Iberia
- Cissa
- Ebro River
- Ibera
- Illiturgis
- Munda
- Orongi
- Upper Baetis
- 1st New Carthage
- Baria
- Baecula
- Ilipa
- Sucro
- 1st Carteia
- 2nd Carteia
- 2nd New Carthage
- Sicily and Sardinia
- Lilybaeum
- Malta
- Decimomannu
- Leontini
- Syracuse
- Himera
- Agrigentum
- North Africa
- 1st Utica
- 2nd Utica
- Great Plains
- Cirta
- Zama
The Battle of Petelia was an ambush during the Second Punic War that took place in the summer of 208 BC near Petelia. The Carthaginian general Hannibal surprised and destroyed a large Roman detachment.
Prelude
In the summer of 208 BC, the Roman consuls Marcus Claudius Marcellus and Titus Quinctius Crispinus ordered a part of the Roman garrison of Tarentum to move up and assist in an offensive against the Carthaginian-allied town of Locri.[1] Hannibal received word from the people of Thurii of the Roman move and laid an ambush along the road from Tarentum with 3,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry.[1]
Battle
The Carthaginian force was hidden at the foot of the hill of Petelia.[1] The Romans failed to conduct a reconnaissance and the Carthaginians achieved complete surprise.[1] They killed 2,000 Romans and captured 1,500.[1] The rest of the Roman force fled cross-country back to Tarentum.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Livius 2006, p. 415.
Bibliography
- Livius, Titus (2006). Hannibal's War: Books Twenty-One to Thirty. Translated by J.C. Yardley, introduction and notes by Dexter Hoyos. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-283159-3.