Battle of the Metaurus
1
9.9
- noun
- Did you know that the Battle of the Metaurus took place in 207 BC?
- Battle of the Metaurus River
Examples
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Roman victory at the Battle of the Metaurus effectively ended Hannibal's chances of success in Italy.
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Historians regard the Battle of the Metaurus as a major turning point in the Second Punic War.
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After the Battle of the Metaurus, Carthaginian forces were unable to threaten Rome directly again.
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The Battle of the Metaurus was a turning point in the Second Punic War.
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The Battle of the Metaurus in 207 BC marked a turning point in the Second Punic War.
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In the Battle of the Metaurus, Roman forces decisively defeated Hasdrubal, ensuring their dominance in Italy.
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Historians regard the Battle of the Metaurus as a critical event that ended Carthaginian ambitions in Italy.
Surface Forms
Morphology
battle + of + the + Metaurus
The phrase is compositionally built from 'battle' (a large fight) plus the prepositional phrase 'of the Metaurus' indicating location; a learner who knows these constituents will understand it denotes a battle that took place at Metaurus. While the precise historical date and significance are not inferable from the words alone, the core locative event meaning is transparent and follows common cross-linguistic patterns (e.g. 'Battle of X').
Etymology
Battle of the Metaurus is named for the Metaurus River, where in 207 BC Roman armies met and defeated Hasdrubal, Hannibal's brother. Because this defeat stopped Carthage from joining forces with Hannibal and ended their chance to win in Italy, the name now marks a major 'turning point' in the war.