Friday 27th May
The battlefields…, Hannibal vs
the Romans, Lake Trasimeno, Tuscany, 475 BC
No holiday is complete without a re-enactment of a
bloody massacre between Romans and Carthaginians…is it? Immersing ourselves in the Roman
fortifications, the preparations for battle, failure to listen to warnings from
lieutenants…you know the story…we felt the leggiones (leggings) tuniciones
(chest pieces), the helmetiones (the helmets) and the codionnes (cod pieces)
being strapped on in preparation for battle…we were THERE!
Then, 4 hours later…and 15,000 Roman fatalities
later…it was all over! Hannibul with his
elephants, his brilliant tactics and his good luck decimated the Romans in
this, the first of three major battles, on the north side of Lago Trasimeno
(in Umbria)…he went on to Cannae and won, then Trebia and won…but declined to
tackle Rome itself..hmmm, imagine if he’d taken that next step? Where would our world be now? We’d be speaking Carthaginian (I already
think some of our friends do!) we’d be wearing togas (cheaper and probably more
flattering as we get older…), we’d be riding elephants for public transport
(collapsing road toll, I think?)…makes you wonder, doesn’t it!!
