The Battle of the Trebia was fought on 22 or 23 December 218 BC during the Second Punic War. Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, had led an army of about 40,000 men out of Iberia, through Gaul and over the Alps into northern Italy. The Roman force under Sempronius Longus was of similar size but stronger in infantry, while Hannibal's army had more cavalry. The battle took place on a flood plain near Placentia, modern Piacenza. Hannibal used his Numidian cavalry to lure the Romans out of their camp into ground he had chosen. Fresh Carthaginian cavalry routed the Roman horsemen, while hidden troops struck the Roman infantry from the rear. Most Roman units collapsed, though around 10,000 men fought their way back to Placentia. The victory drew Gallic recruits to Hannibal, and his army grew to about 60,000.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.