For the 11th century battle in the Byzantine conquest of the Mezzogiorno, see Battle of Cannae (1018).

Battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae

The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War, taking place on August 2, 216 BC near the town of Cannae in Apulia in southeast Italy. The Carthaginian army under Hannibal decisively defeated a numerically superior Roman army under command of the consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. Following the Battle of Cannae, Capua and several other Italian city-states defected from the Roman Republic. Although the battle failed to decide the outcome of the war in favour of Carthage, it is regarded as one of the greatest tactical feats in military history and the greatest defeat of Rome. Byzantine redirects here. ... The Mezzogiorno is generally viewed as encompassing Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, and Sicily, which lie in Italys south, as well as Molise and Abruzzo, which are geographically in central or south-central Italy. ... The Second Battle of Cannae took place in 1018 between the Byzantines under the catepan of Italy Basil Boiannes and the Lombards under Melus of Bari. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Tiberius Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa, Minucius†, Servilius Geminus† Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco†, Syphax... Image File history File links Hannibal_route_of_invasion. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Cannae (mod. ... Roman Carthage with former military harbor Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in Tunisia and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... Roman Carthage with former military harbor Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in Tunisia and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... This article refers to the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For alternate meanings, see Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Hannibal Barca (247 BC – c. ... Gaius Terentius Varro was a Roman consul and commander. ... Lucius Aemilius Paullus 216 BC was a Roman Republic Roman general. ... Temporary grave of an American machine-gunner during the Battle of Normandy. ... Polybius (c. ... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Tiberius Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa, Minucius†, Servilius Geminus† Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco†, Syphax... Sagunt (Spanish Sagunto; Latin Saguntum) is an ancient city in Hispania, in the modern fertile district of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia in eastern Spain. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Unknown Amellius, Praetor of Sicily Strength 35 Quinqueremes 20 Quinqueremes and Triremes Casualties 7 ships captured Unknown The Battle of Lilybaeum was the first naval clash between the navies of Carthage and Rome during the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Gauls Commanders Hannibal Barca Unknown Strength 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, 37 elephants Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Rhone Crossing took place during the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder Strength 6,000 cavalry unknown Casualties small small The Battle of Ticinus was a battle of the Second Punic War fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Romans under Publius Cornelius Scipio in November 218 BC. It... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Tiberius Sempronius Longus Strength 10,000 cavalry, 28,000 infantry and thirty elephants 36,000-38,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry Casualties Unknown, but low 20,000 The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hanno Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus Strength 10,000 infantry, 1,000 cavalry 20,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 2,200 cavalry Casualties 6,000 killed and 2,000 captured unknown, light // Introduction The Battle of Cissa is part of the Second Punic... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gaius Flaminius † Strength 30,000 soldiers 30,000-40,000 soldiers Casualties 1,500 soldiers 15,000 killed or drowned 15,000 captured The Battle of Lake Trasimeno (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Himilco Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus Strength 40 Quinqueremes 55 Quinqueremes and Triremes Casualties 4 sunk, 25 captured Unknown Battle of Ebro River was a naval battle fought between a Carthaginian fleet of approximately 40 quinqueremes under Himilco and a Roman fleet of 55 ships under... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Barca Quintus Fabius Maximus Strength 2,000 infantry, 2,000 Oxen, 2000 Camp Followers 4000 infantry, plus reserves Casualties Light 1000+ The Battle of Ager Falernus is part of the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders M. Minucius Rufus Quintus Fabius Maximus Hannibal Strength unknown unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Geronium was fought in 217 BC during the Second Punic War between Roman forces under M. Minucius Rufus and Hannibals Carthaginian army. ... The First Battle of Nola was fought in 216 BC between the forces of Hannibal and a Roman force led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal Barca Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, Publius Cornelius Scipio Strength 25,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, 20 Elephants 30,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 3,000 cavalry Casualties Severe Heavy The Battle of Dertosa, also known as the ‘’’Battle of Ibera’’’, was... The Second Battle of Nola was fought in 215 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman Army under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal The Bald, Hampsicora Titus Manlius Torquatus Strength 15,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry +Sardinians (?) + Elephants (?) 20,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 1,200 cavalry Casualties Most killed or captured unknown, The Battle of Cornus, or Caralis took place when a Carthaginian... The Third Battle of Nola was fought in 214 BC between Hannibal and Roman army led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Tiberius Gracchus Hanno Strength unknown unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Beneventum was fought in 214 BC near modern Benevento during the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Marcus Livius Strength 10,000 Unknown Casualties Minimal Nearly entire force Second Punic War Saguntum â€“ Lilybaeum â€“ Ticinus â€“ Trebia â€“ Cissa â€“ Lake Trasimene â€“ Ebro River â€“ Ager Falernus â€“ Geronium â€“ Cannae â€“ 1st Nola â€“ Dertosa â€“ 2nd Nola â€“ Cornus â€“ 3rd Nola â€“ Beneventum â€“ 1st Tarentum â€“ 1st Capua â€“ Silarus â€“ 1st Herdonia â€“ Syracuse... The First Battle of Capua was fought in 212 BC between Hannibal and a Roman army. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Marcus Centenius Penula â€  Casualties moderate entire army destroyed The Battle of the Silarus was fought in 212 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman force led by praetor Marcus Centenius Penula. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gnaeus Fulvius Strength 20,000-30,000 18,000 Casualties Minimal 16,000 The first Battle of Herdonia was fought in 212 BC during the Second Punic War between Hannibals Carthaginian army and Roman forces led by Praetor Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus, brother of... The Siege of Syracuse was fought from 214 BC to 212 BC between the rebellious city of Syracuse, and a Roman army under Marcellus sent to put down the citys rebellion. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal Barca Publius Cornelius Scipio† Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus† Strength 35,000 foot, 3,000 Numidians, 7,500 Spanish tribals 30,000 foot, 3,000 Horse + 20,000 Celt-Iberian mercenaries Casualties unknown- approximately 22,000 // Introduction The Battle of the Upper Baetis was fought... The Second Battle of Capua was fought in 211 BC when the Romans besieged Capua. ... The Second Battle of Herdonia of the Second Punic War, was fought in 210 BC between Hannibals army and the Roman forces of Fulvius Centumalus. ... The Battle of Numistro was fought in 210 BC between Hannibals army and a Roman army led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus. ... The Battle of Asculum was fought in 209 BC between Hannibals Carthaginian army, and a Roman force. ... The Battle of Baecula was Scipio Africanus’s first major field battle after he had taken command of Roman interests in Spain during the Second Punic War, in which he routed the Carthaginian army under the command of Hasdrubal Barca. ... The Battle of Grumentum was fought in 207 BC between Romans led by Gaius Claudius Nero, and Hannibals Carthaginian army. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal Barca † Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Porcius Licinus Strength unknown Livius: 2 city legions, Nero: 6,000 foot, 1,000 horse, Licinus: 2 legions Casualties 57,000 killed, 5,400 prisoners 8,000 killed The Battle of the Metaurus was a pivotal battle... The Battle of Ilipa was a battle of the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Sempronius Tuditanus The battles of Crotona in 204 and 203 BC were the last larger scale engagements between the Romans and the Carthaginians in Italy during the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hasdrubal, son of Gisgo Syphax Publius Cornelius Scipio Strength much larger than the Roman army approximately 25,000 Casualties reportedly tens of thousands negligible The Battle of Utica was fought in 203 BC between armies of Rome and Carthage during their second war for dominance... Combatants Roman Republic Carthaginian Commanders Scipio Africanus, Masinissa, Laeliu Hasdrubal, Syphax Casualties Unknown Rout of whole army The Battle of the Great plains Hasdrubal and Syphax had both succeded in escaping from their camps which the Roman general Scipio Africanus, and his Numidian allies Masinissa and Laeliu had destroyed. ... The Battle of Cirta was a battle during the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage. ... The Po Valley Raid was a engagement during the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic East Numidia Commanders Hannibal Scipio Africanus Masinissa Strength almost 58,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 80 war elephants 34,000 Roman infantry 3,000 Roman cavalry 6,000 Numidian cavalry Casualties 20,000 killed 11,000 wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded... The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage. ... Osama was here and he doesnt enjoy this site???? the red sox won and i am one happy camper. ... The Mercenary War was a uprising of mercenaries in the employ of Carthage in the 3rd century BC. The revolt was a consequence of delays in payment following the defeat of Carthage in the First Punic War. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Tiberius Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa, Minucius†, Servilius Geminus† Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco†, Syphax... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Scipio Aemilianus Hasdrubal the Boetarch Strength 40,000 90,000 Casualties 17,000 62,000 The Third Punic War (149 BC to 146 BC) was the third and last of the Punic Wars fought between the former Phoenician colony of Carthage, and the Republic of... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (484x744, 35 KB) Description: Second Punic War, Hannibal dominates Italy Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy [1] Date: - Author: Frank Martini. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (484x744, 35 KB) Description: Second Punic War, Hannibal dominates Italy Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy [1] Date: - Author: Frank Martini. ... Battle of the Trebia Conflict Second Punic War Date 18 December 218 BC Place Trebbia river, Italy Result Carthaginian victory The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was a battle of the Second Punic War fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Romans in 218 BC. Hannibals... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gaius Flaminius † Strength 30,000 soldiers 30,000-40,000 soldiers Casualties 1,500 soldiers 15,000 killed or drowned 15,000 captured The Battle of Lake Trasimeno (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second... For other uses, see Battle (disambiguation). ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Tiberius Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa, Minucius†, Servilius Geminus† Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco†, Syphax... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Cannae (mod. ... This article is about the Italian region. ... Roman Carthage with former military harbor Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in Tunisia and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Hannibal Barca (247 BC – c. ... This article refers to the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For alternate meanings, see Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... This article is about the Roman rank. ... Lucius Aemilius Paullus 216 BC was a Roman Republic Roman general. ... Gaius Terentius Varro was a Roman consul and commander. ... Capua is a city in the province of Caserta, (Campania, Italy) situated 25 km (16 mi) north of Napoli, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. ... Military tactics (Greek: TaktikÄ“, the art of organizing an army) are the collective name for methods for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... Military history is composed of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. ...

Having recovered from their previous losses at Trebia (218 BC) and Trasimene (217 BC), the Romans decided to confront Hannibal at Cannae, with roughly 87,000 Roman and Allied troops. With their right wing positioned near the Aufidus River, the Romans placed their cavalry on their flanks and massed their heavy infantry in a deeper formation than usual in the centre. Perhaps the Romans hoped to break the Carthaginian line earlier in the battle than they had at the Battle of Trebia. To counter this, Hannibal utilized the double-envelopment tactic. He drew up his least reliable infantry in the centre, with the flanks composed of Carthaginian cavalry. Before engaging the Romans, however, his lines adopted a crescent shape — advancing his centre with his veteran troops at the wings in echelon formation. Upon the onset of the battle, the Carthaginian centre withdrew before the advance of the numerically superior Romans. While Hannibal's centre line yielded, the Romans had unknowingly driven themselves into a large arc — whereupon the Carthaginian infantry and cavalry (positioned on the flanks) encircled the main body of Roman infantry. Surrounded and attacked on all sides with no means of escape, the Roman army was subsequently cut to pieces. An estimated 60,000–70,000 Romans were killed or captured at Cannae (including the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus and eighty Roman senators). In terms of the number of lives lost in a single day, Cannae is estimated to be within the thirty costliest battles in all of recorded human history. Ernlee Bradford, a biographer of Hannibal, claims that the 50,000 Romans killed represent the largest number of troops felled in battle in a single day. Battle of the Trebia Conflict Second Punic War Date 18 December 218 BC Place Trebbia river, Italy Result Carthaginian victory The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was a battle of the Second Punic War fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Romans in 218 BC. Hannibals... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gaius Flaminius † Strength 30,000 soldiers 30,000-40,000 soldiers Casualties 1,500 soldiers 15,000 killed or drowned 15,000 captured The Battle of Lake Trasimeno (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second... The Ofanto is a river in southern Italy. ... Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I Infantry or footmen are very highly disciplined and trained soldiers who fight primarily with small arms(rifles), but are trained to use everything from their bare hands to missle systems in order to neutralize... A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ... Four OS2U Kingfisher airplanes flying in right echelon formation. ... Encirclement is a military term for the situation when one sides force or target is isolated and surrounded by other sides forces. ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ... The following is a list of the most lethal battles in world history. ...

Strategic background

Shortly after the start of the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal had boldly crossed into Italy by traversing the Alps during the winter, and had quickly won two major victories over the Romans at Trebia and at Lake Trasimene. After suffering these losses, the Romans appointed Fabius Maximus as dictator to deal with the threat. Fabius set about fighting a war of attrition against Hannibal, cutting off his supply lines and refusing to engage in pitched battle. These tactics proved unpopular with the Romans. As the Roman people recovered from the shock of Hannibal's initial victories, they began to question the wisdom of the Fabian strategy which had given the Carthaginian army the chance to regroup.^[1] Fabius's strategy was especially frustrating to the majority of the people who were eager to see a quick conclusion to the war. It was also widely feared that if Hannibal continued plundering Italy unopposed, Rome's allies might doubt Rome's ability to protect them, and defect to Carthage's cause. This article is about the ancient city-state of Carthage in North Africa. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Battle of the Trebia Conflict Second Punic War Date 18 December 218 BC Place Trebbia river, Italy Result Carthaginian victory The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was a battle of the Second Punic War fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Romans in 218 BC. Hannibals... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Gaius Flaminius † Strength 30,000 soldiers 30,000-40,000 soldiers Casualties 1,500 soldiers 15,000 killed or drowned 15,000 captured The Battle of Lake Trasimeno (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second... Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (c. ... Ordinary Magistrates Extraordinary Magistrates Titles and Honors Emperor Politics and Law Dictator was a political office of the Roman Republic. ... For other uses, see War of Attrition (disambiguation). ... A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges. ... The Fabian strategy is a military strategy where pitched battles are avoided in favor of wearing down an opponent through a war of attrition. ...

Unimpressed with Fabius's strategy, the Roman Senate did not renew his dictatorial powers at the end of his term, and command was given back to the consuls Gnaeus Servilius Geminus and M. Atilius Regulus. In 216 BC, elections resumed with Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus elected as consuls and given command of a newly raised army of unprecedented size in order to counter Hannibal. Polybius writes: The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ... Gnaeus Servilius Geminus (d. ... Gaius Terentius Varro was a Roman consul and commander. ... Lucius Aemilius Paullus (d. ... Polybius (c. ...

— Polybius, The Histories of Polybius^[2]

These eight legions, along with an estimated 2,400 Roman cavalry, formed the nucleus of this massive new army. As each legion was accompanied by an equal number of allied troops, and allied cavalry numbered around 4,000, the total strength of the army which faced Hannibal could not have been much less than 90,000.^[3] The Roman Legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) is a term that can apply both as a transliteration of legio (conscription or army) to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly (and more commonly), to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of... Ellipsis Έλλειψις (plural: ellipses ελλείψεις, Greek for omission) in linguistics refers to any omitted part of speech that is understood, i. ...

Prelude

In the spring of 216 BC, Hannibal took the initiative and seized the large supply depot at Cannae in the Apulian plain. He thus placed himself between the Romans and their crucial source of supply. As Polybius notes, the capture of Cannae "caused great commotion in the Roman army; for it was not only the loss of the place and the stores in it that distressed them, but the fact that it commanded the surrounding district".^[2] The consuls, resolving to confront Hannibal, marched southward in search of the Carthaginian general. After two days’ march, they found him on the left bank of the Aufidus River and encamped six miles away. Ordinarily each of the two Consuls would command their own portion of the army, but since the two armies were combined into one, the Roman law required them to alternate their command on a daily basis. It appears that Hannibal had already figured out that the command of the Roman army alternated, and planned his strategy accordingly.

Reportedly, a Carthaginian officer named Gisgo commented on how much larger the Roman army was. Hannibal replied, "another thing that has escaped your notice, Gisgo, is even more amazing — that although there are so many of them, there is not one among them called Gisgo."^[4] Gisgo is the name of a number of historical figures in the history of ancient Carthage, notably a general of the Sicilian campaigns of the First Punic War. ...

Consul Varro, who was in command on the first day, is presented in our sources as a man of reckless nature and hubris, and was determined to defeat Hannibal. While the Romans were approaching Cannae, a small portion of Hannibal's forces ambushed the Roman army. Varro successfully repelled the Carthaginian attack and continued on his way to Cannae. This victory, though essentially a mere skirmish with no lasting strategic value, greatly bolstered confidence in the Roman army, perhaps to overconfidence on Varro's part. Paullus, however, was opposed to the engagement as it was taking shape. Unlike Varro, he was prudent and cautious, and he believed it was foolish to fight on open ground, despite the Romans' numerical strength. This was especially true since Hannibal held the advantage in cavalry (both in quality and numerical terms). Despite these misgivings, Paullus thought it unwise to withdraw the army after the initial success, and camped two-thirds of the army east of the Aufidus River, sending the remainder of his men to fortify a position on the opposite side. The purpose of this second camp was to cover the foraging parties from the main camp and harass those of the enemy.^[3] Hubris or hybris (Greek ), according to its modern usage, is exaggerated self pride or self-confidence (overbearing pride), often resulting in fatal retribution. ...

The two armies stayed in their respective locations for two days. During the second of these two days (August 1), Hannibal, well aware that Varro would be in command the following day, left his camp and offered battle. Paullus, however, refused. When his request was rejected, Hannibal, recognizing the importance of the Aufidus' water to the Roman troops, sent his cavalry to the smaller Roman camp to harass water-bearing soldiers that were found outside the camp fortifications. According to Polybius,^[2] Hannibal's cavalry boldly rode up to the edge of the Roman encampment, causing havoc and thoroughly disrupting the supply of water to the Roman camp.^[5] Enraged by this foray,^{[citation needed]} Varro assumed command on August 2, marshaled his forces, and crossed back over the Aufidus to do battle. is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Battle

Forces

The combined forces of the two consuls totaled 75,000 infantry, 2,400 Roman cavalry and 4,000 allied horse (involved in the actual battle) and, in the two fortified camps, 2,600 heavily-armed men, 7,400 lightly-armed men (a total of 10,000), so that the total strength the Romans brought to the field amounted to approximately 86,400 men. Opposing them was a Carthaginian army composed of roughly 40,000 heavy infantry, 6,000 light infantry, and 8,000 cavalry in the battle itself, irrespective of detachments.^[6] The Carthaginian army was a combination of warriors from numerous regions. Along with the core of 8,000 Libyans, armed with Roman armour, fought 8,000 Iberians, 16,000 Gauls (8,000 were left at camp the day of battle) and an unknown number of Gaetulian Infantry. Hannibal's cavalry also came from diverse backgrounds. He commanded 4,000 Numidian, 2,000 Spanish, and 450 Liby-Phoenician cavalry. Finally, Hannibal had around 8,000 skirmishers consisting of Balearian slingers and mixed nationality spearmen. All of these specific groups brought their respective strengths to the battle. The uniting factor for the Carthaginian army was the personal tie each group had with Hannibal.^[7] Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... Roman military personal equipment was produced in large numbers to established patterns and used in an established way. ...

Equipment

Rome's forces used traditional Roman equipment including pila and hastae as weapons as well as traditional helmets, shields, and body armor. On the other hand, the Carthaginian army used a variety of equipment. Libyans fought with both armor and equipment taken from previously defeated Romans. Spaniards fought with swords suited for cutting and thrusting, javelins, and incendiary spears. For defense Spanish warriors carried large oval shields. The Gauls on the other hand carried long slashing swords and small but sturdy oval shields. The heavy Carthaginian cavalry carried two javelins and a curved slashing sword with a heavy shield for protection. Numidians, being light cavalry, used no armor but carried a small shield, javelins, and a sword. Skirmishers acting as light infantry carried either slings or spears. The Balearian slingers, who were famous for their accuracy, carried short, medium, and long slings used to throw stones but no defensive equipment. Spearmen carried shields, javelins, and possibly swords or a stabbing spear.^[7] Roman military personal equipment was produced in large numbers to established patterns and used in an established way. ...

Tactical deployment

The conventional deployment for armies of the time was to place infantry in the center and deploy the cavalry in two flanking "wings". The Romans followed this convention fairly closely, but chose extra depth (by stacking their cohorts), rather than breadth for their infantry line, hoping to use this concentration of forces to quickly break through the center of Hannibal's line. Varro knew how the Roman infantry had managed to penetrate Hannibal's center during the Battle of the Trebia, and he planned to recreate this on an even greater scale. The principes were stationed immediately behind the hastati, ready to push forward at first contact to ensure the Romans presented a unified front. As Polybius wrote, "the maniples were nearer each other, or the intervals were decreased… and the maniples showed more depth than front".^[2][8] Even though they outnumbered the Carthaginians, this depth-oriented deployment meant that the Roman lines had a front of roughly equal size to their numerically inferior opponents. Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Tiberius Sempronius Longus Strength 10,000 cavalry, 28,000 infantry and thirty elephants 36,000-38,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry Casualties Unknown, but low 20,000 The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic... The plural of the Latin word princeps. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Maniple (Latin: manipulus) was a tactical unit of the Roman Legion, consisting of two centuriae within a single cohort. ...

Initial deployment and Roman attack (in red)

To Varro, Hannibal seemed to have little room to manoeuver and no means of retreat as he was deployed with the Aufidus River to his rear. Varro believed that when pressed hard by the Romans' superior numbers, the Carthaginians would fall back onto the river and, with no room to manoeuver, would be cut down in panic. Bearing in mind that Hannibal's two previous victories had been largely decided by his trickery and ruse, Varro had sought an open battlefield. The field at Cannae was indeed clear, with no possibility of hidden troops being brought to bear as an ambush.^[9] Image File history File links Battle_of_Cannae,_215_BC_-_Initial_Roman_attack. ... Image File history File links Battle_of_Cannae,_215_BC_-_Initial_Roman_attack. ...

Hannibal, on the other hand, had deployed his forces based on the particular fighting qualities of each unit, taking into consideration both their strengths and weaknesses in devising his strategy.^[3] He placed his Iberians, Gauls and Celtiberians in the middle, alternating the ethnic composition across the front line. Hannibal's infantry from Punic Africa was positioned on the wings at the very edge of his infantry line. The Lady of Baza, made by Iberians The Iberians were an ancient, Pre-Indo-European people who inhabited the east and southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in prehistoric and historic times. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given,in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Main language areas in Iberia circa 200 BC. The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians)[1] were a Celtic people of late La Tène culture living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain and northern Portugal, before and during the Roman Empire. ...

It is a common misconception that Hannibal's African troops carried pikes—a theory put forward by historian Peter Connolly. The Libyan troops in fact carried spears "shorter than the Roman Triarii". Their advantage was not that they had pikes, it was that these infantry were expertly battle-hardened, remained cohesive, and attacked the Roman flanks. A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ... Peter Connolly (born 1935) is a renowned British scholar of the ancient world, Greek and Roman military equipment historian and artist. ...

Hasdrubal led the Iberian and Celtiberian cavalry on the left (south near the Aufidus River) of the Carthaginian army. Hasdrubal was given about 6,500 cavalry, and Hanno had 3,500 Numidians on the right. Hasdrubal's force was able to quickly destroy the Roman cavalry (on the south), pass the Roman's infantry rear, and reach the Roman allied cavalry while they were engaged with Hanno's Numidians. The combined cavalry forces of Hasdrubal and Hanno dispersed the Roman's allied cavalry and attacked the Roman infantry from the rear. Hasdrubal, commander of the Service Corps was a Carthaginian officer in the Second Punic War. ... Hanno, son of Bomilcar was a Carthaginian officer in the Second Punic War. ... The Numidians were tribes who lived in Algeria east of Constantine and in part of Tunisia. ...

Hannibal intended that his cavalry, comprising mainly medium Hispanic cavalry and Numidian light horse, and positioned on the flanks, defeat the weaker Roman cavalry and swing around to attack the Roman infantry from the rear as it pressed upon Hannibal's weakened center. His veteran African troops would then press in from the flanks at the crucial moment, and encircle the overextended Roman army.

After encirclement, a combination of factors aided the decisive victory. First of all, instead of attacking a hardened line of the veteran triarii usually at the rear, the cavalry actually finished off the skirmishers who had retreated through the ranks towards the rear after the skirmish was complete. This allowed time for the Carthaginian army to strategically remove century leaders as well as scare the hastati into confusion. The confusion only worsened as with the aerial bombardment that produced only minor wounds but tricked both sides of the Roman forces to flee towards the middle. This fleeing only led to a situation where Roman troops were too tightly packed to effectively use their weapons and thus fell more rapidly.

Hannibal was unconcerned about his position against the Aufidus River; in fact, it played a major factor in his strategy. By anchoring his army on the river, Hannibal prevented one of his flanks from being overlapped by the more numerous Romans. The Romans were in front of the hill leading to Cannae and hemmed in on their right flank by the Aufidus River, so that their left flank was the only viable means of retreat.^[10] In addition, the Carthaginian forces had manoeuvered so that the Romans would face east. Not only would the morning sunlight shine on the Romans, but the southeasterly winds would blow sand and dust into their faces as they approached the battlefield.^[8] Hannibal's unique deployment of his army, based on his perception and understanding of the capabilities of his troops, was decisive.

Events

As the armies advanced on one another, Hannibal gradually extended the center of his line, as Polybius describes: "After thus drawing up his whole army in a straight line, he took the central companies of Hispanics and Celts and advanced with them, keeping the rest of them in contact with these companies, but gradually falling off, so as to produce a crescent-shaped formation, the line of the flanking companies growing thinner as it was prolonged, his object being to employ the Africans as a reserve force and to begin the action with the Hispanics and Celts."^[3] Polybius describes the weak Carthaginian center as deployed in a crescent, curving out toward the Romans in the middle with the African troops on their flanks in echelon formation.^[2] It is believed that the purpose of this formation was to break the forward momentum of the Roman infantry, and delay its advance before other developments allowed Hannibal to deploy his African infantry most effectively.^[11] However, some historians have called this account fanciful, and claim that it represents either the natural curvature that occurs when a broad front of infantry marches forward, or the bending back of the Carthaginian center from the shock action of meeting the heavily massed Roman center.^[11] Four OS2U Kingfisher airplanes flying in right echelon formation. ...

Destruction of the Roman army

When the battle was joined, the cavalry engaged in a fierce exchange on the flanks. Polybius describes the scene,^[2] writing that "When the Hispanic and Celtic horses on the left wing came into collision with the Roman cavalry, the struggle that ensued was truly barbaric."^[3] Here, the Carthaginian cavalry quickly overpowered the inferior Romans on the right flank and routed them. A portion of the Carthaginian cavalry then detached itself from the Carthaginian left flank and made a wide circling pivot to the Roman right-flank, where it fell upon the rear of the Roman cavalry. The Roman cavalry was immediately dispersed as the Carthaginians fell upon them and began "cutting them down mercilessly".^[3] Image File history File links Battle_cannae_destruction. ... Image File history File links Battle_cannae_destruction. ... A rout is a disorderly withdrawal made by a military force following defeat , a collapse of discipline, or poor morale. ...

While the Carthaginians were in the process of defeating the Roman cavalry, the mass of infantry on both sides advanced towards each other in the center of the field. As the Romans advanced, the wind from the East blew dust in their faces and obscured their vision. While the wind itself was not a major factor, the dust that both armies created would have been potentially debilitating to sight.^[8] Although the dust made sight difficult, troops would still have been able to see others in the vicinity. The dust, however, was not the only psychological factor involved in battle. Because of the somewhat distant battle location both sides were forced to fight on little sleep. The Romans faced another disadvantage caused by lack of proper hydration due to Hannibal's attack on the Roman encampment during the previous day. Furthermore, the massive number of troops would have led to an overwhelming amount of background noise. All of these psychological factors made battle especially difficult for the infantrymen.^[7]

Hannibal stood with his men in the weak center and held them to a controlled retreat. The crescent of Hispanic and Gallic troops buckled inwards as they gradually withdrew. Knowing the superiority of the Roman infantry, Hannibal had instructed his infantry to withdraw deliberately, thus creating an even tighter semicircle around the attacking Roman forces. By doing so, he had turned the strength of the Roman infantry into a weakness. Furthermore, while the front ranks were gradually advancing forward, the bulk of the Roman troops began to lose their cohesion, as they began crowding themselves into the growing gap. Soon they were compacted together so closely that they had little space to wield their weapons. In pressing so far forward in their desire to destroy the retreating and collapsing line of Hispanic and Gallic troops, the Romans had ignored (possibly due to the dust previously mentioned) the African troops that stood uncommitted on the projecting ends of this now reversed-crescent.^[11] This also gave the Carthaginian cavalry time to drive the Roman cavalry off on both flanks and attack the Roman center in the rear. The Roman infantry, now stripped of both its flanks, formed a wedge that drove deeper and deeper into the Carthaginian semicircle, driving itself into an alley that was formed by the African Infantry stationed at the echelons.^[3] At this decisive point, Hannibal ordered his African Infantry to turn inwards and advance against the Roman flanks, creating an encirclement of the Roman infantry in the earliest known example of the pincer movement. Encirclement is a military term for the situation when one sides force or target is isolated and surrounded by other sides forces. ... A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ...

When the Carthaginian cavalry attacked the Romans in the rear, and the African flanking echelons had assailed them on their right and left, the advance of the Roman infantry was brought to an abrupt halt. The trapped Romans were enclosed in a pocket with no means of escape. The Carthaginians created a wall and began destroying the entrapped Romans as discussed earlier. Polybius claims that, "as their outer ranks were continually cut down, and the survivors forced to pull back and huddle together, they were finally all killed where they stood."

Recognizing that his ploy had resulted in near-total victory and still needing to consolidate his gains and take only those few prisoners who would be willing to genuinely defect, Hannibal ordered his men to speedily cut the hamstrings of surviving enemies and move onto the next available Roman, and then later in the day — when there was no more able-bodied resistance — to butcher the lamed Romans at their leisure. In human anatomy, a hamstring refers to one of the tendons that makes up the borders of the space behind the knee. ...

As Livy describes, "So many thousands of Romans were lying … Some, whom their wounds, pinched by the morning cold, had roused, as they were rising up, covered with blood, from the midst of the heaps of slain, were overpowered by the enemy. Some were found with their heads plunged into the earth, which they had excavated; having thus, as it appeared, made pits for themselves, and having suffocated themselves."^[3] Nearly six hundred legionaries were slaughtered each minute until darkness brought an end to the bloodletting.^[12] Only 14,000 Roman troops managed to escape (most of whom had cut their way through to the nearby town of Canusium). At the end of the day, out of the original force of 87,000 Roman troops, only about one out of every six men was still alive.^[3] A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... Ellipsis Έλλειψις (plural: ellipses ελλείψεις, Greek for omission) in linguistics refers to any omitted part of speech that is understood, i. ... View of Canosa Canosa is a town in Apulia, population 30,374, in southern Italy, between Bari and Foggia, located in the Province of Bari. ...

Casualties

Although the true figure will probably never be known, Livy and Polybius variously claim that 50,000–70,000 Romans died with about 3,000–4,500 taken prisoner.^[8] Among the dead were Lucius Aemilius Paullus himself, as well as the two consuls for the preceding year, two quaestors, twenty-nine out of the forty-eight military tribunes, and an additional eighty senators (at a time when the Roman Senate was no more than 300 men, this constituted 25–30% of the governing body). Another 8,000 from the two Roman camps and the neighboring villages surrendered on the following day (after further resistance cost even more fatalities - more or less 2,000). In all, perhaps more than 75,000 Romans of the original force of 87,000 were dead or captured — totaling more than 85% of the entire army. In the battle itself only, perhaps more of 95% of the Romans and allies were killed or captured. More Romans were lost at Cannae than in any other battle except the Battle of Arausio, and Cannae is second only to the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest when looking at the percentage of Romans killed. For their part, the Carthaginians suffered 16,700 casualties (with the Celtiberians and Iberians accounting for the majority). The fatalities for the Carthaginians amounted to 6,000 men, of whom 4,000 were Celtiberians, 1,500 Iberians and Africans, and the remainder cavalry.^[3] Lucius Aemilius Paullus (d. ... Quaestores were elected officials of the Roman Republic who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers. ... Military tribunes were officers of the Roman Legions. ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ... Combatants Cimbri and Teutones Roman Republic Commanders Kings Boiorix and Teutobod Quintus Servilius Caepio and Gnaeus Mallius Maximus† Strength about 200,000 80,000 troops in 10-12 legions with up to 40,000 auxiliaries and camp followers Casualties Unknown, perhaps several thousand An estimated 112,000 The Battle of... Combatants Germanic tribes (Cherusci, Marsi, Chatti, Bructeri and Chauci) Roman Empire Commanders Arminius Publius Quinctilius Varus † Strength 10,000 to 18,000 3 Roman legions, 3 alae and 6 auxiliary cohorts, probably 20,000 - 25,000 Casualties Unknown; but far less than Roman losses 15,000-20,000 The Battle... Main language areas in Iberia circa 200 BC. The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians)[1] were a Celtic people of late La Tène culture living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain and northern Portugal, before and during the Roman Empire. ... The Lady of Baza, made by Iberians The Iberians were an ancient, Pre-Indo-European people who inhabited the east and southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in prehistoric and historic times. ...

The total casualty figure of the battle, therefore, exceeds 80,000 men. At the time when Cannae was fought, it was probably the second most costly battle in history, behind only the Battle of Plataea, even if at Plataea the bulk of the casualties was made in the rout of the Persian's army after the battle and not necessarily in the battlefield itself. Until the Mongol invasions, ~1500 years later, it was ranked in the ten most costly battles in human history, and even in modern times the death toll remains in the fifty most lethal battles in world history. Combatants Greek city-states Persia Commanders Pausanias Mardonius â€  Strength 110,000 (Herodotus) ~40,000 (Modern Consensus) 300,000 (Herodotus) 50,000-70,000 [1][2][3] (Modern Consensus) Casualties 10,000+ (Ephorus and Diodorus) 1,360 (Plutarch) 759 (Herodotus) 43,000 survived (Herodotus) The Battle of Plataea was the final... Mongol invasions can refer to: 1205–1209 invasion of Western China 1211–1234 invasion of Northern China 1218–1220 invasion of Central Asia 1220-1223, 1235-1330 invasions of Georgia and the Caucasus 1220–1224 of the Cumans 1223–36 invasion of Volga Bulgaria 1231–1259 invasion of Korea 1237... The following is a list of the most lethal battles in world history. ...

Aftermath

Hannibal counting the rings of the Roman knights killed during the battle, statue by Sébastien Slodtz, 1704, Louvre

For more details on this topic, see Second Punic War.

― Livy, on the Roman Senate's reaction to the defeat^[13]

For a brief period of time, the Romans were in complete disarray. Their best armies in the peninsula were destroyed, the few remnants severely demoralized, and the only remaining consul (Varro) completely discredited. It was a complete catastrophe for the Romans. As the story goes, Rome declared a national day of mourning, as there was not a single person in Rome who was not either related to or acquainted with a person who had died. The Romans became so desperate that they resorted to human sacrifice, twice burying people alive^[14] at the Forum of Rome and abandoning an oversized baby in the Adriatic Sea^[14] (perhaps one of the last recorded instances of human sacrifices the Romans would perform, unless the public executions of defeated enemies dedicated to Mars are counted as human sacrifice). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1590x2890, 2493 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hannibal Battle of Cannae Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1590x2890, 2493 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hannibal Battle of Cannae Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... An equestrian (Latin eques, plural equites - also known as a vir egregius, lit. ... Image:Hannibal Slodtz crop. ... This article is about the museum. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Tiberius Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa, Minucius†, Servilius Geminus† Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco†, Syphax... Samnium (Oscan Safinim) was a region of the southern Apennines in Italy that was home to the Samnites, a group of Sabellic tribes that controlled the area from about 600 BC to about 290 BC. Samnium was delimited by Latium in the north, by Lucania in the south, by Campania... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... . ... Part of the Roman Forum. ... A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Lucius Caecilius Metellus, a military tribune, is known to have so much despaired in the Roman cause in the aftermath of the battle as to suggest that everything was lost, and called the other tribunes to sail overseas and hire themselves up into the service to some foreign prince.^[6] Afterwards, he was forced by his own example to swear an oath of allegiance to Rome for all time. Furthermore, the Roman survivors of Cannae were later reconstituted as two legions and assigned to Sicily for the remainder of the war as punishment for their humiliating desertion of the battlefield.^[6] In addition to the physical loss of her army, Rome would suffer a symbolic defeat of prestige. A gold ring was a token of membership in the upper classes of Roman society;^[6] Hannibal had his men collect more than 200 gold rings from the corpses on the battlefield, and sent this collection to Carthage as proof of his victory. The collection was poured on the floor in front of the Carthaginian Senate, and was judged to be "three and a half measures". Lucius Caecilius Metellus (b. ... Military tribunes were officers of the Roman Legions. ...

Hannibal, having gained yet another victory (following the battles of Trebia and Lake Trasimene), had defeated the equivalent of eight consular armies.^[15] Within just three campaign seasons, Rome had lost a fifth of the entire population of citizens over seventeen years of age (nearly twelve percent of Rome's available manpower).^[3] Furthermore, the morale effect of this victory was such that most of Southern Italy joined Hannibal's cause. After the Battle of Cannae, the Hellenistic southern provinces of Arpi, Salapia, Herdonia, Uzentum, including the cities of Capua and Tarentum (two of the largest city-states in Italy) all revoked their allegiance to Rome and pledged their loyalty to Hannibal. As Polybius notes, "How much more serious was the defeat of Cannae, than those which preceded it can be seen by the behavior of Rome’s allies; before that fateful day, their loyalty remained unshaken, now it began to waver for the simple reason that they despaired of Roman Power."^[2] During that same year, the Greek cities in Sicily were induced to revolt against Roman political control, while the Macedonian king, Philip V, had pledged his support to Hannibal — thus initiating the First Macedonian War against Rome. Hannibal also secured an alliance with the newly appointed King Hieronymus of Syracuse, the only independent leftover in Sicily. Combatants Carthage Roman Republic Commanders Hannibal Tiberius Sempronius Longus Strength 10,000 cavalry, 28,000 infantry and thirty elephants 36,000-38,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry Casualties Unknown, but low 20,000 The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic... Battle of Lake Trasimene Conflict Second Punic War Date June 24, 217 BC Place Lake Trasimene, Italy Result Carthagininan victory The Battle of Lake Trasimene (June 24, 217 BC, April on the Julian calendar) was a Roman defeat in the Second Punic War between the Carthaginians under Hannibal and the... The term Hellenistic (derived from HéllÄ“n, the Greeks traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the spreading of Greek culture over the non-Greek people that were conquered by Alexander the Great. ... Magna Graecia around 280 b. ... Capua is a city in the province of Caserta, (Campania, Italy) situated 25 km (16 mi) north of Napoli, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. ... Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... Coin of Philip V. The Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ ([coin] of King Philip). ... Combatants Roman Republic, Aetolian League, Pergamon Macedon Commanders Marcus Valerius Laevinus, Attalus I Philip V of Macedon The First Macedonian War (214 BC - 205 BC) was fought by Rome, allied (after 211 BC) with the Aetolian League and Attalus I of Pergamon, against Philip V of Macedon, contemporaneously with the... Hieronymus is the name for several people: Saint Jerome Hieronymus Bosch, artist Hieronymus Fabricius, anatomist Hieronymus of Cardia, Greek general and historian Hieronymus Graf von Colloredo, Austrian Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Count of the Holy Roman Empire Hieronymus Wolf, historian This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which... Syracuse (Italian, Siracusa, ancient Syracusa - see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a city on the eastern coast of Sicily and the capital of the province of Syracuse, Italy. ...

Following the battle, the commander of the Numidian cavalry Maharbal urged Hannibal to seize the opportunity and march immediately on Rome. It is told that the latter's refusal caused Maharbal's exclamation: "Truly the Gods have not bestowed all things upon the same person. Thou knowest indeed, Hannibal, how to conquer, but thou knowest not how to make use of your victory."^[3][16] Yet Hannibal had good reasons to judge the strategic situation after the battle otherwise than Maharbal did. As the historian Hans Delbrück points out, due to the high numbers of killed and wounded among its ranks the Punic army was not in condition to perform a direct assault on Rome. A march to the city on the Tiber would have been a fruitless demonstration, that would have nullified the psychological effect of Cannae on the Roman allies. Even if his army was in full strength, a successful siege of Rome would have required from Hannibal to subdue a considerable part of the hinterland in order to secure his own and cut the enemy's supplies. Even after the tremendous losses, suffered at Cannae, and the defection of a number of her allies, Rome still had abundant manpower to prevent this and at the same time to maintain considerable forces in Iberia, Sicily, Sardinia and elsewhere despite Hannibal's presence in Italy.^[17] Hannibal's conduct after the victories at Trasimene (217 BC) and Cannae (216 BC), and the fact that he first attacked Rome itself only five years later (in 211 BC) suggests that his strategic aim was not the destruction of his foe but to dishearten the Romans by a series of carnages on the battlefields and to wear them down to a moderate peace agreement by stripping them of their allies.^[18][19] Maharbal was Hannibals cavalry commander during the Second Punic War. ... Tiber River in Rome. ...

So immediately after Cannae Hannibal sent a delegation led by Carthalo to negotiate a peace treaty with the Senate on moderate terms. Yet despite the multiple catastrophes Rome had suffered, the Roman Senate refused to parley. Instead, they re-doubled their efforts, declaring full mobilization of the male Roman population, and raised new legions from landless peasants and even slaves. So firm were these measures that the word “peace” was prohibited, mourning was limited to only thirty days, and public tears were restricted to women.^[20][3] The Romans, after experiencing this catastrophic defeat and losing other battles, had at this point learned their lesson. For the remainder of the war in Italy, they would no longer engage in pitched battles against Hannibal; instead they would utilize the strategies Fabius had taught them, which — as they had finally realized — were the only feasible means of driving Hannibal from Italy. Carthalo (? – c. ... Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (c. ...

In the long run, Rome had its revenge. A Roman fleet carried a Roman army to Africa, where in the Battle of Zama, Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal, effectively ending the 2nd Punic War. Combatants Carthage Roman Republic East Numidia Commanders Hannibal Scipio Africanus Masinissa Strength almost 58,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 80 war elephants 34,000 Roman infantry 3,000 Roman cavalry 6,000 Numidian cavalry Casualties 20,000 killed 11,000 wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded... Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major (Latin: P·CORNELIVS·P·F·L·N·SCIPIO·AFRICANVS¹) (235–183 BC) was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic. ...

Historical significance

Effects on Roman military doctrine

The Battle of Cannae played a major role in shaping the military structure and tactical organization of the Roman Republican army. At Cannae, the Roman infantry assumed a formation similar to the Greek phalanx. This delivered them into Hannibal's trap, since their inability to manoeuvre independently from the mass of the army made it impossible for them to counter the encircling tactics employed by the Carthaginian cavalry. Furthermore, the strict laws of the Roman state required that high command alternate between the two consuls — thus restricting strategic consistency. However, in the years following Cannae, striking reforms were introduced to address these deficiencies. First, the Romans "articulated the phalanx, then divided it into columns, and finally split it up into a great number of small tactical bodies that were capable, now of closing together in a compact impenetrable union, now of changing the pattern with consummate flexibility, of separating one from the other and turning in this or that direction." For instance, at Ilipa and Zama, the principes were formed up well to the rear of the hastati — a deployment that allowed a greater degree of mobility and manoeuverability. The culminating result of this change marked the transition from the traditional manipular system to the cohort under Gaius Marius, as the basic infantry unit of the Roman army. The Roman military had a very large and well organized structure. ... The Roman army was primarily based around heavy infantry. ... Main article: Military history of ancient Rome As the Roman kingdom successfully overcame opposition from the Italic hill tribes and became a larger state, the age of tyranny in the eastern Mediterranean began to pass away. ... Macedonian phalanx formation showing the employment of Macedonian spear or sarissas making the formation nearly impregnable from the front but cumbersome, tactically unwieldy and vulnerable from side or rear A phalanx (plural phalanxes or phalanges) is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears... The Battle of Ilipa was a battle of the Second Punic War. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic East Numidia Commanders Hannibal Scipio Africanus Masinissa Strength almost 58,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 80 war elephants 34,000 Roman infantry 3,000 Roman cavalry 6,000 Numidian cavalry Casualties 20,000 killed 11,000 wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded... The plural of the Latin word princeps. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Maniple (Latin: manipulus) was a tactical unit of the Roman Legion, consisting of two centuriae within a single cohort. ... A cohort (from the Latin cohors, plural cohortes) is a fairly large military unit, generally consisting of one type of soldier. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In addition, the necessity of a unified command was finally recognized. After various political experiments, Scipio Africanus was made general-in-chief of the Roman armies in Africa, and was assured the continued occupancy of this title for the duration of the war. This appointment may have violated the constitutional laws of the Roman Republic, but, as Hans Delbrück wrote, "effected an internal transformation that increased her military potentiality enormously" while foreshadowing the decline of the Republic's political institutions. Furthermore, the battle exposed the limits of a citizen-militia army. Following Cannae, the Roman army gradually developed into a professional force: the nucleus of Scipio's army at Zama was composed of veterans who had been fighting the Carthaginians in Hispania for nearly sixteen years, and had been molded into a superb fighting force. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major (Latin: P·CORNELIVS·P·F·L·N·SCIPIO·AFRICANVS¹) (235–183 BC) was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic. ... This article refers to the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For alternate meanings, see Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Hans Delbrück, 1848-1929 Hans Delbrück (November 11, 1848 - July 14, 1929), German historian, was born at Bergen on the island of Rügen, and studied at the universities of Heidelberg and Bonn. ... Lebanese Kataeb militia A Militia is an army composed of ordinary [1] citizens to provide defense, emergency or paramilitary service, or those engaged in such activity. ... Combatants Carthage Roman Republic East Numidia Commanders Hannibal Scipio Africanus Masinissa Strength almost 58,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 80 war elephants 34,000 Roman infantry 3,000 Roman cavalry 6,000 Numidian cavalry Casualties 20,000 killed 11,000 wounded 15,000 captured 1,500 killed 4,000 wounded... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Iberian Peninsula. ...

Status in military history

The Battle of Cannae is as famous for Hannibal's tactics as it is for the role it played in Roman history. Not only did Hannibal inflict a defeat on the Roman Republic in a manner unrepeated for over a century until the lesser-known Battle of Arausio, the battle itself has acquired a significant reputation within the field of military history. As military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge once wrote: "Few battles of ancient times are more marked by ability… than the battle of Cannae. The position was such as to place every advantage on Hannibal's side. The manner in which the far from perfect Hispanic and Gallic foot was advanced in a wedge in échelon… was first held there and then withdrawn step by step, until it had the reached the converse position… is a simple masterpiece of battle tactics. The advance at the proper moment of the African infantry, and its wheel right and left upon the flanks of the disordered and crowded Roman legionaries, is far beyond praise. The whole battle, from the Carthaginian standpoint, is a consummate piece of art, having no superior, few equal, examples in the history of war". As Will Durant wrote, "It was a supreme example of generalship, never bettered in history… and it set the lines of military tactics for 2,000 years". Military tactics (Greek: TaktikÄ“, the art of organizing an army) are the collective name for methods for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... See: Structural history of the Roman military The branches of the Roman military at the highest level were the Roman army and the Roman navy. ... Combatants Cimbri and Teutones Roman Republic Commanders Kings Boiorix and Teutobod Quintus Servilius Caepio and Gnaeus Mallius Maximus† Strength about 200,000 80,000 troops in 10-12 legions with up to 40,000 auxiliaries and camp followers Casualties Unknown, perhaps several thousand An estimated 112,000 The Battle of... Military history is composed of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. ... Theodore Ayrault Dodge (28 May 1842–1909) was a Union officer in the American Civil War and a military historian of both that war and of the great generals of ancient and European history. ... Four OS2U Kingfisher airplanes flying in right echelon formation. ... Will Durant William James Durant (November 5, 1885–November 7, 1981) was an American philosopher, historian, and writer. ...

Hannibal's double envelopement at the Battle of Cannae is often viewed as one of the greatest battlefield manoeuvers in history, and is cited as the first successful use of the pincer movement within the Western world, to be recorded in detail.^[21] Encirclement is a military term for the situation when one sides force or target is isolated and surrounded by other sides forces. ... A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ... Occident redirects here. ...

The "Cannae Model"

Apart from it being one of the greatest defeats ever inflicted on Roman arms, the Battle of Cannae represents the archetypal battle of annihilation, a strategy that has rarely been successfully implemented in modern history. As Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II, once wrote, "Every ground commander seeks the battle of annihilation; so far as conditions permit, he tries to duplicate in modern war the classic example of Cannae". Furthermore, the totality of Hannibal's victory has made the name "Cannae" a byword for military success, and is today studied in detail in several military academies around the world. The notion that an entire army could be encircled and annihilated within a single stroke, led to a fascination among subsequent Western generals for centuries (including Frederick the Great and Helmuth von Moltke) who attempted to emulate its tactical paradigm of envelopment and re-create their own "Cannae".^[12] For instance, Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of the Coalition Forces in the Gulf War, studied Cannae and employed the principles Hannibal used in his highly successful ground campaign against the much less impressive Iraqi forces.^[6] For other uses, see Archetype (disambiguation). ... A Battle of annihilation is a military strategy whereby an attacking army seeks to destroy the military capacity of the opposing army in a single planned pivotal battle. ... Dwight David Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American General and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... Modern warfare involves the widespread use of highly advanced technology. ... Frederick II (German: ; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. ... Helmuth von Moltke can refer to these people: Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke (the elder) (1800–1891) Colonel General Helmuth von Moltke (the younger) (1848–1916) Helmuth James Graf von Moltke (1907–1945) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages... Norman Schwarzkopf can refer to: Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

Hans Delbrück's seminal study of the battle had a profound influence on subsequent German military theorists, in particular, the Chief of the German General Staff, Alfred Graf von Schlieffen (whose eponymously-titled "Schlieffen Plan" was inspired by Hannibal's double envelopment manoeuver). Through his writings, Schlieffen taught that the "Cannae model" would continue to be applicable in maneuver warfare throughout the 20th century: "A battle of annihilation can be carried out today according to the same plan devised by Hannibal in long forgotten times. The enemy front is not the goal of the principal attack. The mass of the troops and the reserves should not be concentrated against the enemy front; the essential is that the flanks be crushed. The wings should not be sought at the advanced points of the front but rather along the entire depth and extension of the enemy formation. The annihilation is completed through an attack against the enemy's rear… To bring about a decisive and annihilating victory requires an attack against the front and against one or both flanks…" Schlieffen later developed his own operational doctrine in a series of articles, many of which were later translated and published in a work entitled "Cannae". A seminal work [semen = seed (from the Latin seminalis)] is a work from which other works come--it is an engendering work which is so important in its ideas or technique that other people take these up and create new works too. ... The German General Staff, (Großer Generalstab, literally, Great General Staff) was an institution whose rise and development gave the German military a decided advantage over its adversaries. ... Alfred Graf von Schlieffen Alfred Graf von Schlieffen (February 28, 1833 - January 4, 1913), German field marshal and strategist, served as Chief of the German Imperial General Staff from 1891 to 1905. ... Alfred Graf von Schlieffen For the French counter-plan, see Plan XVII The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staffs overall strategic plan for victory on the Western Front against France, and was executed to near victory in the first month of World War I; however, a French counterattack... Maneuver warfare, is the term used by military theorist for a concept of warfare that advocates attempting to defeat an adversary by incapacitating their decision-making through shock and disruption brought about by movement. ... Operational art is the act of applying military art to the operational art of war. ...

Cultural references

• The Battle of Cannae served as an inspiration for the American metal band Cannae.^{[citation needed]}
• Emmanuel Lasker, a famous German chess player, was particularly fond of using the Battle of Cannae to illustrate chess strategies and tactics.^{[citation needed]}
• Due to the similarities in tactics, the Battle of Cowpens is often referred to as the "American Cannae" or "Cannae in miniature". ^{[citation needed]}
• The Rome: Total War Engine was used to produce a computerized recreation of the battle in The History Channel series Decisive Battles and the BBC series Time Commanders (in the latter, this recreation was used to refight the battle, with the computer as Rome and the players as Carthage, and ending in a Carthaginian defeat).^{[citation needed]}
• The Battle of Stalingrad in World War II was said to be a large-scale Cannae.^{[citation needed]}

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Heavy metal music. ... Cannae is a band from Boston, Massachusetts. ... Emanuel Lasker (December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player and mathematician, born at Berlinchen in Brandenburg (now Barlinek in Poland). ... This article is about the Western board game. ... This article seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... In chess, a tactic refers to a short sequence of moves which limits the opponents options and which results in tangible gain. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength c. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength c. ... Rome: Total War is a grand strategy computer game where players fight historical and fictious battles during the era of the Roman Republic, from 270 BCE to 14 CE. The game was developed by Creative Assembly and released on September 22, 2004. ... 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. ... For the Canadian equivalent of this channel, see History Television. ... Decisive Battles was a television show on The History Channel depicting battles from antiquity. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Time Commanders is a series of programmes made by Lion TV for BBC Two. ... Combatants Germany Romania Italy Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovskiy Rodion Malinovskiy Andrei Yeremenko Strength Army Group B: German Sixth Army # German Fourth Panzer Army...

See also

• Battle of Walaja
• Battle of Cowpens
• Battle of Fraustadt
• Battle of Khalkhin Gol
• Battle of Marathon
• Battle of Stalingrad
• Pincer movement
• Flanking maneuver
• Operation Postern
• Six-Day War

Combatants Rashidun Caliphate Sassanid Persian Empire, Christian Arab allies Commanders Khalid ibn al-Walid Andarzaghar Strength 15,000[1] 30,000-50,000[1] Casualties ~1000+ [1] 20,000-30,000 [1][2] The Battle of Walaja was a battle fought in Mesopotamia (Iraq) in May 633 between the Muslim... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength c. ... The battle of Fraustadt was fought on February 3, 1706 between Swedish and Russians. ... Combatants Soviet Union Mongolian Peoples Republic Empire of Japan Manchukuo Commanders Georgy Zhukov Michitaro Komatsubara Strength 57,000 30,000 (initially), 60,000 (as positions reinforced) Casualties Archival research 7,974 killed, 15,251 wounded[1] Japanese government claim 8,440 killed, 8,766 wounded Soviet claim 60,000... Combatants Athens, Plataea Persia Commanders Miltiades, Callimachus â€ , Arimnestus Datis â€ ?, Artaphernes Strength 10,000 Athenians, 1,000 Plataeans 20,000 - 100,000 a Casualties 192 Athenians killed, 11 Plataeans killed (Herodotus) 6,400 killed, 7 ships captured (Herodotus) a These are modern consensus estimates. ... Combatants Germany Romania Italy Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovskiy Rodion Malinovskiy Andrei Yeremenko Strength Army Group B: German Sixth Army # German Fourth Panzer Army... A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ... “Flanking” redirects here. ... Combatants Australia United States Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Hatazô Adachi Strength ~30,000 ~10,000 Casualties  ?  ? The Salamaua-Lae campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Australian and United States forces sought to capture two major Japanese bases, one in... Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Jordan Iraq Commanders Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkiss, Israel Tal, Mordechai Hod, Ariel Sharon Abdel Hakim Amer, Abdul Munim Riad, Zaid ibn Shaker, Hafez al-Assad Strength 264,000 (incl. ...

Notes and references

The military historian Basil Liddell Hart. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Theodore Ayrault Dodge (28 May 1842–1909) was a Union officer in the American Civil War and a military historian of both that war and of the great generals of ancient and European history. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Theodore Ayrault Dodge (28 May 1842–1909) was a Union officer in the American Civil War and a military historian of both that war and of the great generals of ancient and European history. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Carlton, James, The Military Quotation Book, New York City, New York, Thomas Dunne Books, 2002
• Dexter Hoyos, B., Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy, Bristol Phoenix Press, 2005, ISBN 1-904675-46-8 (hbk) ISBN 1-904675-47-6 (pbk)
• Gregory Daly, Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War, Routledge, London/New York, 2002, ISBN 0-415-32743-1
• Delbrück, Hans, Warfare in Antiquity, 1920, ISBN 0-8032-9199-X
• Livy, Titus Livius and De Selincourt, Aubrey, The War with Hannibal: Books XXI-XXX of the History of Rome from its Foundation, Penguin Classics, Reprint edition, July 30, 1965, ISBN 0-14-044145-X (pbk)
• Talbert, Richard J.A., ed., Atlas of Classical History, Routledge, London/New York, 1985, ISBN 0-415-03463-9

Hans Delbrück, 1848-1929 Hans Delbrück (November 11, 1848 - July 14, 1929), German historian, was born at Bergen on the island of Rügen, and studied at the universities of Heidelberg and Bonn. ... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Richard J.A. Talbert (born 1947) is a contemporary British-American ancient historian and classicist on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is William Rand Kenan, Jr. ...

External links

• "The Battle of Cannae" at www.unrv.com
• "The Battle of Cannae" at Roman-empire.net
• "Rome and Carthage: Classic Battle Joined" - article by Greg Yocherer from Military History Magazine
• Cannae - a treatise by General Fieldmarshal Count Alfred von Schlieffen
• Maps and aerial photos for 41°18′07″N 16°08′06″E / 41.302, 16.135Coordinates: 41°18′07″N 16°08′06″E / 41.302, 16.135
  • Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA

Categories: Stub | 1833 births | 1913 deaths ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...