Between the Wars

240-219 BC
& The Battle of Telamon
 After the First Punic War
• Carthage embroiled in Mercenary War
– Hamilcar in charge; limited history, merciless
• Corsica and Sardinia are seized from
Carthage while she is distracted and unable
to fight back.
• Carthage expands her empire in Spain under
Hamilcar
 The Gauls Again
• The Romans expand northward into the Po
Valley in the 240’s and 230’s.
 The Gallic Response
• Feeling threatened, the Boii of the Po ally with the
Gaesatae of Transalpine Gaul.
– Rome concedes Spain to Carthage
• Rome rallies her legions
– Consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus (son of Marcus of 1st
Punic War, brother to another Marcus, consul in 227
BC) is in Sardinia
– Consul, Lucius Aemilius Papus with 2nd army on east
coast of Italy near Venice.
– Praetor (name unknown) with allied army in Etruria
 March South
• The Gauls march south, and the Praetor and
most of his force were destroyed in an
ambush near Clusium.
• Papus appear near, the Gauls decide to go
along the west coast homeward—Papus
follows.
• Regulus lands near Pisa and marches south.
 The Battle of Telamon
• Regulus’ scouts meet Gauls on a hill, Gauls
think it’s Papus.
– Regulus advances, Gauls realize it’s another
army, not Papus.
• The Gallic army split, each half facing
outwards, back to back to fight both
Regulus and Papus at the same time
 Forces
• Roman • Gauls
– Generals Regulus and – Generals Concolitanus
Papus and Aneroestes
– 70,000 combined – 50,000 infantry
infantry – 20,000 cavalry
– 5,400 cavalry
 Death of a Consul
• Regulus dies on the main hill; his head is brought
to the Gallic chiefs.
– Romans take the hill
• Gaesatae take heavy casualties due to lack of
armor (fighting naked) and the Roman javelins
(pila).
• The Romans press in and their cavalry turn the
Gallic flank.
– 40,000 Gauls killed, 10,000 taken prisoner including
Concolitanus. Aneroestes escapes but commits suicide.