Battle of the Metaurus
207 BCE · Italy
The Battle of the Metaurus was fought in 207 BCE in Italy between Roman Republic vs Carthage; decisive Roman victory; Hasdrubal was killed and Hannibal lost his last hope of reinforcement.
Battle of the Metaurus: quick facts
- Date
- 207 BCE
- Location
- Italy
- Belligerents
- Roman Republic vs Carthage
- Commanders
- Gaius Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius Salinator vs Hasdrubal Barca
- Result
- decisive Roman victory; Hasdrubal was killed and Hannibal lost his last hope of reinforcement.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of the Metaurus?
The Roman consul Claudius Nero secretly marched his forces north to join his colleague Livius Salinator, catching Hasdrubal Barca's army by surprise at the Metaurus River. Hasdrubal had been marching south to reinforce his brother Hannibal. The Carthaginian army was annihilated and Hasdrubal was killed. The Romans catapulted Hasdrubal's severed head into Hannibal's camp, crushing his hope of receiving reinforcements.
Did you know?
After the Metaurus, the Romans catapulted Hasdrubal's severed head into Hannibal's camp. According to Livy, Hannibal looked at his brother's face and said 'I see the fate of Carthage.'
Sources and further reading
- Battle of the Metaurus on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.