Battle of Placentia (217 BC)

The Battle of Placentia was a cavalry engagement fought in 217 BC during the Second Punic War between the forces of Hannibal and the Roman Republic. The battle took place near the Roman colony of Placentia (modern Piacenza, Italy) shortly after Hannibal's victory at the Battle of Lake Trasimene.

Following the devastating Roman defeat at Trasimene, Hannibal marched towards the Adriatic coast of Italy, aiming to secure supplies and rest his army. The Roman army, under the command of Gaius Flaminius, had been destroyed. However, reinforcements were being raised and organized by Gnaeus Servilius Geminus and Gaius Atilius Regulus.

Hannibal, aware of the potential threat posed by these newly formed Roman legions, dispatched his cavalry to scout ahead and disrupt Roman preparations. A Roman cavalry force, likely detached from one of the emerging legions, engaged Hannibal's Numidian and Iberian cavalry near Placentia.

The details of the battle are sparse and largely based on accounts from Livy and Polybius. The Roman cavalry was significantly outnumbered and outmatched by Hannibal's experienced cavalry. The Roman force was decisively defeated, suffering heavy losses. This victory allowed Hannibal to further secure his supply lines and continue his campaign in Italy without immediate interference from the nascent Roman legions. The battle is considered a minor engagement in the larger context of the Second Punic War, but it highlights the skill and effectiveness of Hannibal's cavalry, particularly his Numidian horsemen. While the Romans eventually recovered and adopted more effective cavalry tactics, the early years of the war saw Hannibal’s cavalry superiority as a key factor in his victories.