Battle of The Metaurus - The Battle

The Battle

The battle started with the Roman left flank charging the Carthaginian right, followed a little later by the Roman center. The outnumbered Carthaginian cavalry tumbled against the Roman cavalry. The Carthaginian right wing and center held their ground and the War elephants, before being overcome, initially succeeded in breaking the Roman lines and spreading mass confusion, making the initial combat favorable to Hasdrubal.

Claudius Nero, on the Roman right flank, struggled to overcome the terrain that blocked his path to the unprepared Gauls on Hasdrubal's left. Seeing the futility in wasting further time attempting to reach them, he instead took half of his men and led them from behind the battling Roman lines to the extreme Roman left, swinging his troops around and crashing into the Carthaginian right flank with sudden force and intensity. The Carthaginian right wing, composed of Iberians, could not withstand this two pronged attack of Marcus Livius from the front and Claudius Nero on their flank. They soon panicked and fled, collapsing onto the Carthaginian center and creating mass confusion.

The disordered Carthaginian center now faced a three pronged attack: Porcius from the front, Marcus Livius from their right flank, and Claudius Nero from the rear. By now the Roman cavalry had completely defeated the Carthaginian cavalry and with the retreat of the Carthaginian center a general retreat of Hasdrubal's army started. The Romans chased the retreating Carthaginians and met almost no resistance from the unfit Gauls. Most of the Carthaginian casualties occurred during this disordered retreat.

The Carthaginian general, seeing that there was nothing more he could do, and presumably doubtful of his own prospects of escape or simply unwilling to be taken captive, charged into the thick of the nearly concluded battle and met a glorious, if pointless, death.

• Roman left wing, center and cavalry charging the respective Carthaginian forces.

• Claudius Nero attacking the Carthaginian right wing at its flank, left unprotected by retreating cavalry.

• Carthaginian right wing and cavalry routed followed by a three prong attack on Carthaginian center.

• Retreat of the entire Carthaginian army.