I WANTED to go, but if I recall correctly, I did not go because the sea claimed the site hundreds of years ago. Am I wrong?
Isn’t Thermopylae on a mountain pass? Trasimeno is inland, not claimed by sea. Not sure which you are referring to.
Yes, I at first liked Hannibal but admired more the Romans who beat him back and built a marvelous civilization. I did want to go over the pass Hannibal and the elephants took over the Alps, but that no longer exists, due to landslides and elephant remains (haha, not really. Due to things I do not know).
Do go to Valle d’Aosta outside of Turin, tho. Amazing wonderful Roman ruins, roads, bridges, etc. up that way.
Those who count on tourism there would say the sea altered the site rather than claimed it, and some of the land has since been reshaped/reclaimed artificially. There is level land between the mountains and the sea, but I don't think it's a reliable match to the terrain at the time of the battle. It's more a case of visiting the general vicinity of the battle than standing on the exact rocks the Spartans stood on.
Note: The inscription under the statue of Leonidas is, of course, "MOLON LABE".
As I understand, the sea has receded from the ancient shores that made Thermopylae such a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea.