fought on the river Trebia in northern Italy, and in it Hannibal
showed how easily he could outwit and destroy a Roman army. It was a
winter's day and the river was swollen by rains. The two camps lay on
opposite banks. In the early morning Hannibal sent across the river a
body of horsemen to attack the Roman camp and draw the Romans into a
battle. At the same time he ordered his other soldiers to eat
breakfast, to build fires before their tents to warm themselves, and
to rub their bodies with oil, so that they might be strong for the
coming fight.

The Romans were suddenly roused by the attack of the Carthaginian
horsemen, and, without waiting for food, moved out of camp, chasing
the horsemen toward the river. Into its icy waters the Romans waded
breast-high, and when they came up on the opposite bank they were
benumbed with cold. As soon as Hannibal knew that the Romans had
crossed the river he attacked them fiercely with all his troops. Two
thousand men whom he had placed in ambush fell upon the rear of their
line. Their allies were frightened by a charge of elephants. Seeing
that destruction was certain, ten thousand of the best soldiers broke
through the Carthaginian line and marched away. All the rest of the
army was destroyed.

ROMAN ENDURANCE. This was not the last of the Roman defeats. Two other
armies were destroyed by Hannibal during the next two years. In the
battle of Cannae nearly seventy thousand Romans, including eighty
senators, were slain. The news filled the city with weeping women, but
the senate did not think of yielding. When their allies deserted them,
they besieged the faithless cities, took them, beheaded the rulers,
and sold the inhabitants into slavery.