HANNIBAL: MY LIFE

1) River Trebia

As I looked down on the battle field at the River Trebia and at my troops I thought of all I had done so far in the short space I have been the Barca of the Carthaginians.

Firstly my tutor who taught me my Greek, Iberian, Bithynian, Thracian, Gallatin and Punic. Then my wife Similce who cured the elephants of the fungal disease in their toes. Then the assassination attempt on Hasdrubal another Carthaginian commander. I remembered the sacking of Sanguntine a prominent Roman town. Then Similce telling me she was pregnant. "This will influence my victory today" I murmured.

Usually I talk to myself about the victory conditions and the past so off I go "I swore an oath on my father's deathbed that I would march on rome. Having lost many men marching across the freezing alps I gathered the survivors and reassembled them at Trebia 218 bc. My forces are no match for the legions of rome, I was at 2:1 odds. I have to use the element of surprise…"

Castellus my second in command came in "what would you have me do Hannibal"

"set the line on the ridge, the cavalry in the trees, a pincer movement attack I think"

"the elephants?"

"use them as back up for the infantry line"

"where will you and the body guard be"

"I will stay behind the infantry, you lead the cavalry!"

I carried on as if nothing had happened "…so, I have hidden my cavalry in the trees I need to draw them into the bait now. Ahh I can use my numidian mercenarys across the river! And the key element for all battles. The elephants have to be used to create fear and terror.

"Castellus" I shouted

I swept out of the tent and almost crashed into him. "yes sir"

"one don't call me sir and two send the numidians across the river to draw them in"

"yes Hannibal"

"Neko" I called

"yes master"

"get my armour and cloak, I ride to war. People will think I am going to bed if I stay like this"

"yes master"

As my slave Neko dressed me with my armour I heard the hoof beats of the numidians going down into the river.

"There sir"

"thank you"

For the second time I strode out my tent an mounted bellus my horse. The romans were advancing across the snowy plain towards my line!

They looked like this:

row 1)Skirmishers also known as velites, light infantry, throws pila and javelins

row 2)hastati were the first to go into battle, sword & shield, throws pila

row 3)principles Flowers of the legions, heavy sword and shield infantry

row 4)triari veterans of the Romans, anti-horse troops

My army was like this:

left flank)war elephants

left flank)sacred band cavalry

left part of line)light infantry from Gaul

behind line)archers

behind archers)Me and my body guard

infront of archers middle line)Spanish heavy infantry

front)skirmishers

far right)light infantry from Gaul

far left behind treeline)sacred band cavalry

far right behind treeline)sacred band cavalry

I charged in my ambush left and right side, I saw castellus leading the right hand side charge. The charge destroyed their light cavalry and two units of triari peeled off each side to counter the cavalry. Lead by castellus my cavalry gained ground slowly with the triari being surrounded and cut down. I charged them at the back of the principles who ran at almost first contact. And whilst this was happening my infantry were valiantly trying to hold back the hastati so I charged in to help them I dismounted after 5 minutes and my sword was covered in blood as the last survivors were captured.

I had lost only 1300 men whilst they had lost at least 15000 and some were running away.

You may think this was cruel but I commanded that the hastati were to be castrated and tied to ponies and sent off in the direction of rome. General Sempronious was crucified and thrown into the River and we went back to our tents victorious after less than a day.