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>
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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>
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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>
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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>