It resulted in a decisive victory for the Carthaginian forces led by the renowned general Hannibal Barca, increasing his confidence while stranded on the Italian Peninsula.

Subsequent to his triumph in the Battle of Ager Falernus, Barca's army proceeded on a northward path before veering east towards Molise, traversing the region of Samnium.

Throughout this trek, Barca's movement was closely monitored by the Roman army led by Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, who adhered to his Fabian strategy.

This tactic of avoiding direct confrontation with Hannibal's forces was met with increasing discontent in Rome, culminating in Fabius being obligated to make a return to the city.

Marcus Minucius Rufus, who was left in command, managed to catch the Carthaginians off guard near their camp in Geronium and inflicted heavy losses on them in a large skirmish, whilst 5,000 Romans were killed.

Still committed to a delaying strategy, Fabius followed Hannibal cautiously, keeping to the high ground and avoiding being drawn into a pitched battle at all costs.

The Carthaginian army then turned east into Samnium, and after crossing the Apennine Mountains and moving through the Pelignial plains, finally entered Molise.

[1] The Carthaginians had cut a swath of destruction in their march, ravaging farms and property, collecting provisions and prisoners as they moved, unopposed by Fabius.

[6] While the sick and wounded recovered in the camp, thousands of foragers fanned out throughout the plain to harvest crops while others pastured their cattle and horses on the mountainside.

[7] While the Carthaginians had been busy at Geronium, Fabius had left Minucius in charge of the Roman army with instructions to follow the ‘Fabian Strategy’ and journeyed to Rome to observe religious duties.

[8] Minucius, who had always advocated a more forward strategy against Hannibal, moved down from the hills after a few days and set up a new camp in the plain of Larinum to the north of Geronium.

The Romans, seizing their chance, sent out light infantry and horsemen through the back gate of their camp to cut off and kill a large number of Carthaginian foragers,[12] who were scattered all over the plain of Geronium.

[13] With only a third of the army present[14] and most of their cavalry absent, the outnumbered Carthaginians fought a small-scale battle, not of their choosing, and fared poorly during the engagement.

The arrival of Hasdrubal (the Quartermaster General) with 4,000 foragers gave Hannibal the confidence to deploy his army for battle, and Minucius chose to withdraw to his camp.

A praetor named “Metellus”[16] or, according to other sources, G. Terentius Varro (the future consul in 216 BC),[17] proposed a bill to elevate Minucius to the equal rank of Fabius.

[19] In the coming days, Minucius would act just as the senate had expected, but he would almost end up rendering the type of "service" to Rome that it could ill afford and the likes of which Fabius had striven to avoid in the preceding months of the campaign.

It was a foregone conclusion that Minucius was more likely to swallow whatever bait was laid out by Hannibal, as Fabius had shown himself to be immune to all forms of provocation throughout the summer of 217 BC.

After a careful study of the terrain, Hannibal devised a tactical plan which would take advantage of the aggressiveness of Minucius and the geographical features of the chosen battle site.

[21] Hannibal selected a picked body of 5,000 infantry and 500[22] cavalry, and ordered them to conceal themselves in groups of 200-300 in the hollows and dead ground on the night before the battle.

[23] Hannibal and his infantry struck the now unbalanced Romans from the front before the shock of the ambush faded or Minucius could take corrective action.

Hannibal is said to have remarked, “That cloud on the mountains has broken in the storm at last!” [2] The fleeing Romans of Minucius’ dissolving army began to form up with Fabius' legions.

Still, the Carthaginians had inflicted severe casualties on the Romans, and only the timely action of Fabius saved Rome from dealing with a new disaster, all in the space of six months.

After the term of Fabius as dictator expired in December of 217 BC, the army was turned over to the incoming consuls Attilus Regulus and Servillus Geminus.