It's a trap!

[Akrotatos]

I am searching for examples of ambushes in ancient and medieval times successful or not...unfortunately I don't have enough time to search deeply and goolge does not help, i haven't been able to find a list.

Any help appreciated. I can only think of Teutoburg and Lake Trasimene at the moment, as well as the Scythian ambush that killed some of Alexander's men in Bactria can't remember location)

Thanks in advance

[Red]

as well as the Scythian ambush that killed some of Alexander's men in Bactria can't remember location)

Thanks in advance

I couldn't find a name but I believe that this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitamenes
http://books.google.com/ (search The campaigns of Alexander and look on page 210)

Will help with that, it mentions a force under the command of Pharnuches being annihilated in Sogdiana.

[Mulattothrasher]

A couple Celtic ones

The Battle of Litana 216 B.C. Here the Boii topple trees onto the Romans and Kill' Em All.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

While these matters were engrossing attention a fresh disaster was announced, for Fortune was heaping one disaster upon another this year. It was reported that L. Postumius, the consul elect, and his army had been annihilated in Gaul. There was a wild forest called by the Gauls Litana, and through this the consul was to conduct his army. The Gauls cut through the trees on both sides of the road in such a way that they remained standing as long as they were undisturbed, but a slight pressure would make them fall. Postumius had two Roman legions, and he had also levied a force from the country bordering on the Upper Sea, sufficiently large to bring the force with which he entered the hostile territory up to 25,000 men. The Gauls had posted themselves round the outskirts of the forest, and as soon as the Roman army entered they pushed the sawn trees on the outside, these fell upon those next to them, which were tottering and hardly able to stand upright, until the whole mass fell in on both sides and buried in one common ruin arms and men and horses. Hardly ten men escaped, for when most of them hail been crushed to death by the trunks or broken branches of the trees, the remainder, panic-struck at the unexpected disaster, were killed by the Gauls who surrounded the forest. Out of the whole number only very few were made prisoners, and these, whilst trying to reach a bridge over the river, were intercepted by the Gauls who had already seized it. It was there that Postumius fell whilst fighting most desperately to avoid capture. The Boii stripped the body of its spoils and cut off the head, and bore them in triumph to the most sacred of their temples. According to their custom they cleaned out the skull and covered the scalp with beaten gold; it was then used as a vessel for libations and also as a drinking cup for the priest and ministers of the temple. The plunder, too, which the Gauls secured was as great as their victory, for although most of the animals had been buried beneath the fallen trees, the rest of the booty, not having been scattered in flight, was found strewn along the whole line where the army lay.

The Battle of Atuatuka 54 B.C. Under assurances from Ambiorix, the Romans march out only to be killed by Ambiorix and his Eburones warriors. A legion and several cohorts dead.
http://atuatuca.de/v2/infos/english.php

[Timoleon of Korinthos]

As far as ancient Greek warfare is concerned the first that come to mind are:

The battle of Lechaeum
Iphicrates against Anaxibios in Abydos 389BC pg189-129

The battle of Crimessus River

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As Timoleon's men went up a hill to get their first look at the Carthaginians, they met a train of mules loaded with parsley. The soldiers took this as a very bad omen because parsley was used to decorate tombs. Timoleon called a halt and made a speech, telling the men that the gods had sent them their victory wreaths -- parsley was what was used to crown the victors in the Isthmian games at Corinth. Timoleon made himself a victory wreath, and his officers followed his example. Just then the fortune-tellers noticed two eagles flying toward them -- a very good omen -- and when they pointed this out, the whole army fell down and thanked the gods.

The Carthaginians were at that moment in the process of fording the Crimesus River. First came the soldiers from Carthage itself, ten thousand men with white shields and heavy armor. Timoleon pointed out to his men how the river cut the enemy force in half, allowing them to take on the Carthaginians alone. Retreat was blocked for the Carthaginians by the crowd of their allies in the water behind them.

With their large shields and heavy armor, the Carthaginians easily withstood the Greek spears, but when the two armies locked together, and drew their swords for close-in fighting, the skill and strength of the Greeks gave them the advantage.

Just as the battle began, a violent thunderstorm sent rain into the faces of the Carthaginians, and lightning blinded them. Thunder made it impossible to hear the orders of their commanders. The river behind the Carthaginians rose and overflowed its banks, partly because of the rain and partly because of the crowd of people that was blocking its flow. The mud made the ground on which the Carthaginians stood slippery, and because of their heavy armor they had a hard time getting up from the mud once they fell. After four hundred Carthaginians in the front ranks had been killed, the others tried to save themselves by flight. Many drowned in the river, and many others were caught and killed from behind. Ten thousand of them lay dead after the fight, including three thousand of the best soldiers of Carthage. Never before had so many Carthaginians died in one battle. Usually they got their Africans and Spaniards to bear the brunt of battle, and take most of the casualties.

And check this out [pages 177-189, especially 184] Pritchett is da man, he has them all rounded up in a list.


Edit:

A byzie one: Battle of Lalakaon river

[Nik]

Battle of Lake Trasimene (Hannibal catches a Roman army trying to intercept him on the march along a lake)
Battle of Morgarten (Swiss ambush a Habsburg Column between a Hill and a marshy lake).

[Akrotatos]

Thanks guys, keep them coming

[CiviC]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Posada
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Attack
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_vaslui

[Erebus Pasha]

The Battle of Faesulae in 225BC in the run up to Telamon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Faesulae

[Tiberios]

The Battle of of Hyelion and Leimocheir where the Byzantines ambushed a Seljuk forces moving back across the river.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_...and_Leimocheir

[Gaius Baltar]

Battle of Ad Decimum, September 13, 533.
Vandals vs Eastern Romans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ad_Decimum

Battle of Thurles (1174 AD)
Normans vs Irish
not much info on this heres a link to a gaming site
http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/battles/thurles.html


This is a great video, could be based on 1177 battle of Mont Gisard, where Saladin was ambushed by a small force under Baldwin IV of Jerusalem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Montgisard
Video of Crusader ambush of Saladin from TV show Arn-Templar
http://videosift.com/video/Crusader-...-desert-battle

[myrmidones]

Every single warfare moment that involved chief Viriato of the Lusitans.