on the wings, the infantry in the centre.  The light troops, who formed the vanguard on both sides, began the combat:  but the Romans had already almost exhausted their missiles against the cavalry, and immediately gave way.  In like manner the cavalry gave way on the wings, hard pressed by the elephants in front, and outflanked right and left by the far more numerous Carthaginian horse.  But the Roman infantry proved itself worthy of its name:  at the beginning of the battle it fought with very decided superiority against the infantry of the enemy, and even when the repulse of the Roman horse allowed the enemy’s cavalry and light-armed troops to turn their attacks against the Roman infantry, the latter, although ceasing to advance, obstinately maintained its ground.  At this stage a select Carthaginian band of 1000 infantry, and as many horsemen, under the leadership of Mago, Hannibal’s youngest brother, suddenly emerged from an ambush in the rear of the Roman army, and fell upon the densely entangled masses.  The wings of the army and the rear ranks of the Roman centre were broken up and scattered by this attack, while the first division, 10,000 men strong, in compact array broke through the Carthaginian line, and made a passage for itself obliquely through the midst of the enemy, inflicting great loss on the opposing infantry and more especially on the Gallic insurgents.  This brave body, pursued but feebly, thus reached Placentia.  The remaining mass was for the most part slaughtered by the elephants and light troops of the enemy in attempting to cross the river:  only part of the cavalry and some divisions of infantry were able, by wading through the river, to gain the camp whither the Carthaginians did not follow them, and thus they too reached Placentia.(1) Few battles confer more honour on the Roman soldier than this on the Trebia, and few at the same time furnish graver impeachment of the general in command; although the candid judge will not forget that a commandership in chief expiring on a definite day was an unmilitary institution, and that figs cannot be reaped from thistles.  The victory came to be costly even to the victors.  Although the loss in the battle fell chiefly on the Celtic insurgents, yet a multitude of the veteran soldiers of Hannibal died afterwards from diseases engendered by that raw and wet winter day, and all the elephants perished except one.

Hannibal Master of Northern Italy

The effect of this first victory of the invading army was, that the national insurrection now spread and assumed shape without hindrance throughout the Celtic territory.  The remains of the Roman army of the Po threw themselves into the fortresses of Placentia and Cremona:  completely cut off from home, they were obliged to procure their supplies by way of the river.  The consul Tiberius Sempronius only escaped, as if by miracle, from being taken prisoner, when with a weak escort of cavalry he went to Rome on account