Osprey Campaign 36 : Cannae 216 BC : Hannibal Smashes Rome's Army

The battle of Cannae is rightly regarded as one of the greatest battles of military history. Apart from it being the greatest defeat ever suffered by Roman arms, Hannibal's stratagem has become a model of the perfectly fought battle and is studied in detail at military academies around the world. Following his invasion of Italy during the Second Punic War Hannibal inflicted two bloody defeats on Rome at the River Trebbia and at the battle of Lake Trasimene, in the case of the latter destroying the consular army of Caius Flaminius. After this disaster the Romans determined to ensure both Consuls were present at any future battle. At Cannae the Romans confronted Hannibal with an army of 80,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry under both consuls who because of a quirk of Roman politics commanded on alternate days. Hannibal faced them with 40,000 foot and 10,000 horse drawn up on a clear plain where there could be no threat of hidden troops (such as at Trasimene) effectively using his whole army as bait. The battle which followed is a masterpiece of battlefield control. Hannibal allowed his centre to give ground, drawing in the more numerous Roman infantry while his cavalry drove off that of the enemy. Having defeated their counterparts the Carthaginian cavalry returned and charged into the rear of the struggling Roman Legions. By the end of the battle the Romans lost 47,500 infantry and 2,700 cavalry killed and a further 19,300 captured. Mark Healy recounts this battle in detail as well as explaining Hannibal's campaign before it, with particular attention to his invasion of Italy.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Opposing Leaders
• The Opposing Armies
• 218 - Ticinus and Trebbia
• 217 - Lake Trasimene
• 217-216 - The Fabian Strategy
• The Approach to Cannae
• The Battle of Cannae
• Aftermath
• Chronology
• A Guide to Further Reading
• The Battlefield Today
• Wargaming Cannae