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TheBattleofCannae

THEBATTLEOFCANNAE

HANNIBAL

Foughtinthesummerof216BCbetweentheforcesoftheCarthaginiangeneralHannibalandaRomanarmyunderthedualcommandofLuci
AemiliusPaullusandGaiuserrentiusVarro.ThebattleofCannaewastobeHannibal'sfinesthourandtheworstdefeateversufferedbyRoma
militaryarms.

AfteramiraculouscrossingofItaly'snorthernAlps,Hannibal'sarmy,comprisingamixtureofGaul's,Spaniard's,Numidian's,Celt'sandCarthag
proceededintotheinteriorofthecountry,easilydefeatingRomanforcesatthebattlesoftheTicinusandTrebiariversin218BC.Continuing
southwardHannibalthendefeatedaRomanarmysentagainsthimatlakeTrasimenusin217BC.

InanattempttoconvertRome'salliestohiscause,HannibalchoosetobypassthecapitalcityofRomeandravagethecountryside,wherehec
upagainstyetanotherRomanarmybarringhispassageatCannae.Hannibalcarefullystudiedthesituationandhadsomemisgivings,forthisR
armywasdoubleinsizetoanyotherhehadyetencountered.

ThefieldatCannaewasflatandwideopen,thetwoopposingarmieswouldhavenosurprisestoofferoneanother.Hannibal,withanarmyof4
men(35,000infantryand10,000cavalry)wouldfaceamuchlargerRomanarmynumbering80,000men(75,000infantryand5,000cavalry).

BothRomancommandersPaullusandVarro,hadagreedbeforehandthateachwouldcommandthearmyonedayinturn,itwasonthedayof
thatVarrowouldfindhimselfinoverallcommand.VarrodecidedtheRomanswouldutilizetheiroverwhelmingsuperiorityinnumberstoattacka
crushHannibal'scenter

OntheRomanrightflankstoodtheRomancavalry3000strongwhichfacedHannibal'sCeltsandSpaniardsnumbering7,000horseman.Onth
Romanleftflankweresome2000cavalrysuppliedbyRome'sallieswhichwereopposedbyHannibal's3,000Numidiancavalry.

VarroformeduphisinfantryintothreeextremelydeeplinessoastobringtheirfullweighttobearonHannibal'scenter.Hannibal'sinfantryline
convexinformationprotrudingoutwardtowardstheRomanswiththewingsbendingbackfromtheCarthaginiancenter.

HannibalplacedhisAfricaninfantryonthecornersofthisconvexformationtobesuretheseforceswouldnotbeengagedinthebattletosoon,
formeduphiscavalryontheouterflanksoftheAfricaninfantry.

Althoughpuzzledbythisformation,Varrowasstillconfidentinthatbeforehimstoodamotleycollectionofmercenariesrepresentingoverfived
nationalities.Thiswasanarmythatfoughtsolelyforpay,theRomanswerefightingfortheirveryhomelandagainstaninvader.

AddingtoVarro'soverconfidencewasthatunderhiscommandwasthelargestarmyRomehadeverputintothefield.Varrothusbelievedthat
superiorityinnumberscombinedwithamassivefrontalattackwouldpunchthroughHannibal'scenterandeasilywinthedayforRome.Varroth
orderedhistroopstoadvance.
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BATTLELINESATCANNAE

TheentireRomanarmynowlumberedforward,astheycamewithinrangeoftheirfoetheyhurledtheirjavelinsintothefrontranksoftheenem
causingheavycasualties.TheRomansthenunsheathedtheirswordsandthetwoinfantrylinescollided.TheweightoftheRomanattackonth
CarthaginiancentersoonbegantoachieveitsmaingoalasHannibal'slinebegantofallback,soastostraightenandthenslowlyrecedeintot
shapeofaconcaveline.

BelievingthatHannibal'sfrontlinewasinretreatandabouttobreak,Varrocontinuedpouringhisforcesintotheconcave.Hannibalnowordere
AfricantroopsonhisflankstomoveforwardandformalinealongthesidetheRomanattack.AstheRomanscontinuedtoadvancetheybegan
cohesionandmobilityastheirranksbecamemoreandmoreconstricted.

HannibalnoworderedbothhiscavalrywingsforwardtoattackthecavalryformationsprotectingtheRomanflanks.TheRomanhorsemanwere
drivenfromthebattlefield,leavingPaulluswoundedanddying.MeanwhileontheCarthaginianright,theNumidian'sandthecavalryofRome's
wereengagedinfiercecombatwithneithergaininganadvantage.

AfterchasingtheRomanhorsemanfromthebattlefield,Hannibal'sleftwingcavalrycommanderHasdrubal,reorganizedhiscavalryandcharge
acrosstheplains,tostrikeRome'salliedcavalryfromtherear.

ThesehorsemanwouldquicklyfindthemselvescaughtbetweenthetwoCarthaginianforcesandchosetogiveupthefightandflee,takingthe
commanderVarrowiththem.WithPaullusdeadordyingandVarronowabsent,theRomanarmyfounditselfleaderlessandwithoutoverallcom
atacriticalmomentinthebattle.

BythistimetheRoman'shadadvanceddeeperintotheconcave,withtherearinfantryrankscontinuallypushingforwardagainstthebacksoft
comrades.AstheRomanscontinuedblindlyonwardtheybecameconfinedandpackedtogetherwithinanevershrinkingarea.Asaresultthey
abilitytomaneuverorusetheirweaponseffectively.

Hannibal'sAfricaninfantryformingonthesidesoftheRomanattacknowbegantoturninward,constrictingtheRomaninfantryeverfurther.Ha
onceagainreformedhiscavalryandbegantoattacktheRoman'sfromtheirrear.TheRomanarmywasnowtotallyencircledwitheveryRoma
fightingforhisverysurvival.

TheRomanpocketwassteadilyreducedinsizeastensofthousandswereslain.WhentheslaughterwasfinallyovertheRomanarmywhichs
thebattlewithsuchhighexpectationsofoverallvictory,hadbeenutterlyannihilated.
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TheCarthaginianvictoryatCannaemarkedtheapexofHannibal'smilitarycarrier.50,000Roman'snowlaydead,with20,000otherstakenpris
and10,000barelyescapingwiththeirlives.Carthaginianlossesnumberedamere6,000men.

ThewarhoweverwouldcontinueforanotherfourteenyearsuntilHannibal'srecalltodefendCarthageitself,eventuallyculminatinginHannibal's
completedefeatatthebattleofZamain202BC,whichwouldendthewarinabsolutevictoryforRome.

AfterthewarHannibal'sverysurvivalwasfearedbytheRoman'sandhewasforcedtoflee.WhentheRoman'scaughtupwithhimin183BC,
committedsuicideratherthansurrender.

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