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| | Livius Picture Archive: the battle of Sentinum (295 BCE) |
 | | Consul Flaminius was sent to Arretium (modern Arrezo) with two legions of 5,000 soldiers each, 10,000 Italian auxiliaries, 1,000 archers, 1,000 light-armed men, and between 2,500 and 3,500 cavalry. |
 | | This was a dangerous maneuver because it exposed his flank to Roman attacks, but Hannibal needed to force a battle with the consular army before it had united with the other Roman force. |
 | | So, Hannibal passed along the Roman army at Arretium and could proceed to Rome or to the east; in both cases, he would be trapped between the forces of Flaminius and another army. |
| www.livius.org /a/battlefields/trasimene_lake/trasimene.html (888 words) |
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