The battle of the Trebia was the first major battle of the Second Punic War, fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and a Roman army under Sempronius Longus on 22 or 23 December 218 BC near modern Piacenza in northern Italy. Each army had a strength of about 40,000 men; the Romans were stronger in infantry, while the Carthaginians were stronger in cavalry and fielded about 30 war elephants (statuette pictured). Hannibal used his Numidian cavalry to lure the Romans out of their camp and onto ground of his choosing. Fresh Carthaginian cavalry routed the outnumbered Roman cavalry, and Carthaginian light infantry outflanked the Roman infantry. A previously hidden Carthaginian force attacked the Roman infantry in the rear. Most of the Roman units then collapsed and most Romans were killed or captured, but 10,000 under Sempronius maintained formation, fought their way out and reached the safety of Piacenza. The following spring the Carthaginians moved south into Roman Italy and operated there for 15 years.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Trebia
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1888:
During a bout of mental illness, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh severed part of his left ear and gave it to a woman in a brothel in Arles, France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh
1916:
First World War: Allied forces gained a strategic victory at the Battle of Magdhaba on the Sinai Peninsula. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Magdhaba
1957:
Leading the Australia national cricket team, Ian Craig became the youngest-ever Test cricket captain at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Craig
2008:
The Guinean military engineered a coup d'état, announcing that it planned to rule the country for two years prior to a new presidential election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Guinean_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
lovelily: 1. In a lovely way. 2. In a manner to excite or inspire admiration or love; admirably, beautifully, wonderfully. 3. (obsolete) In a friendly or pleasant manner; amiably, kindly, pleasantly. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lovelily
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Sanaka and the others were my sons through my mental powers and were born before you. Without any desires, they travel through the sky and go to all the worlds and the residents there. They once went to Vaikuntha, where the illustrious one with the unblemished atman resides. All the worlds revere Vaikuntha. All the people who reside in Vaikuntha have a form like Vaikuntha. They are not driven by any material aspirations, but worship Hari because of dharma. The original and illustrious Purusha is there and he can be approached through the use of words. He accepts the pure form of sattva and the foremost confers happiness on us, his devotees. --Bhagavata Purana https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bhagavata_Purana