The battle of cannae 2 august 216 bce was the decisive victory of the carthaginian army over roman forces at cannae, southeast italy. The battle of cannae is rightly regarded as one of the greatest battles of military history. Why the battle of cannae was hannibals greatest victory. Battle of cannae, august 216 bce, battle fought near the ancient village of cannae, in southern apulia modern puglia, southeastern italy, between the forces. Hannibal continued to fight for the people of carthage, in spite of the poor. On august 2, 216 bc rome suffered one of the most catastrophic defeats in military history. Thus through all that winter and spring the two armies remained encamped facing each other. Please see the links under article milestones below for its original nomination page for older articles, check the nomination archive and why it was removed this article appeared on wikipedias main page as todays featured article on january 23, 2007. Jun 07, 2016 to put things into perspective, the battle of cannae 216 bc, contested between the ancient mediterranean powerhouses of rome and carthage, is usually considered as a particularly bloody episode which had possibly resulted in the highest loss of human life in a single day in any battle recorded in history. In sicily,the carthaginian general hamilcar had fought a lone battle for carthage remaining undefeated and earning the nickname barcalightning for the speed of his movements. The battle of cannae dickinson college commentaries. The battle of cannae was the last great battle fought by hannibal in italy. The romans were slaugtered polybius estimates that close to 70,000 romans died at cannae, including paullus with varro fleeing the battlefield.
One of the most talked about battles in military historical circles is the battle of cannae between rome and carthage on august 2, 216 b. The army of carthage under hannibal decisively defeated a larger army of the roman republic under the consuls lucius aemilius paullus and gaius terentius varro. Battle of cannae second punic war war movies battle of cannae 2 aug 216 bc second punic war war movies on war movies info. The loss at cannae almost handed the roman empire to the carthaginian general hannibal. Cannae the bloodiest battle in history historyextra. The battle phase iii varros mistakes the fact, hannibal had offered battle on the left bank of the aufidius, made varro decide to cross the river and do battle there.
Brass napoleon award forrests cannae the battle of. Battle commenced and, predictably, the romans started well, easily pushing back the spanish and gallic troops in the centre. The battle of brices crossroads, fought on june 10, 1864, in northern mississippi was confederate cavalryman nathan bedford forrests tactical masterpiece and has been favorably compared with the 216 bc victory of carthaginian general hannibal over his roman enemies in the battle of cannae. After cannae the romans never again tried to defeat hannibal in pitched battle with a single large army.
After the defeat of the cannae, rome was horrified. Nov 12, 2009 the romans were slaugtered polybius estimates that close to 70,000 romans died at cannae, including paullus with varro fleeing the battlefield. A video from invicta discussing the battle of cannae. Globalxplorer is the citizen science platform that archaeologist sarah parcak built with the 2016 ted prize, to train a 21st century virtual army to help look for signs of archaeological. Hannibal tv movie 2006 hannibal tv movie 2006 user. Cannae is significant because in military circles it is considered to represent the perfect battle of encirclement if not the perfect battle period. The battle of cannae gets mentioned by military historians all the time because it was a double envelopment, where hannibal and.
Fought during the second punic war, hannibal who won this great tactical victory will be forever be remembered by it. The battle of cannae commences the romans lined up with an unusually deep and therefore narrow formation. The roman legions were perhaps the finest military units of their day. Various accounts of the battle of cannae show that 50,00070,000 of the romans, with 3,5004,500 taken prisoner. The carthaginian army, led by hannibal, surrounded and practically annihilated a larger roman army under the consuls lucius aemilius paullus and gaius terentius varro. Hannibal and the darkest hour of the roman republic by robert oconnell is an engaging and interesting account of hannibal, the battle of cannae and the second punic war. Abandoned by the senate he returned to carthage after the war to crush the rebellion of unpaid mercenaries and peasants in africa who had nearly besieged cartahge itself. Another that makes it so significant is that hannibal, the carthaginian cdr, managed to defeat a roman. This battle set the standard of what we would regard as a total tactical victory on the battlefield.
Map of the battle of cannae, 216 bc phase one, two, and three. Under fabius again,they utilized several independent armies, still outnumbering the punic forces in numbers of armies and soldiers. Although fewer men were lost at teutoburg, and that battle had a more profound effect of romes military philosophy, the. The enormous dramatic potential of characters like hannibal and his roman adversaries, varro, fabius and scipio have not been transferred to a really thrilling film, though.
Hannibals army suffered around 6,000 killed and 10,000 wounded. Nov 26, 2015 cannae was one of the biggest military disaster in the history of roman republic. These are games that meet substantially all of the following criteria. At the suggestion of romes dictator, quintus fabius maximus, known as cunctator, various religious rites were used to reverse the wrath of the gods. Marathon, cannae and the battles that changed history us. How could the romans have won the battle of cannae. The losses were comparable more or less to those at trebia and lake trasumennus put together. The army of carthage, under hannibal, defeated a larger roman army. To this day this figure stands as the most men killed in a single days battle or in a more horrific context the equivalent of the nuclear bombs death toll at hiroshima.
Jul 23, 2004 hannibals victory at the battle of cannae, 216 bc. The lombards had also hired some norman cavalry mercenaries under their leader gilbert buatere, while boioannes had a detachment of elite varangian guard sent to him at his request to combat the normans. The battle of cannae turned out to be the greatest military disaster in the whole roman history. Hannibal battle of cannae 216 bce a major battle of the second punic war, 50,000 romans fell in that battle. Aug 03, 2016 battle of cannae 216 bc, contested between the ancient mediterranean powerhouses of rome and carthage, is usually considered as a particularly bloody episode which had possibly resulted in the highest loss of human life in a single day in any battle recorded in history. Strategic formations of the battle of cannae legio i. More soldiers died at cannae than on the first day of the battle of the somme on the western front in 1916.
They met hannibal on the field at the battle of cannae in august of. Below is my top 10 list of games covering the 2nd punic war battle of cannae. But when the season for the new harvest was come, hannibal began to move from the camp at geronium. The battle of cannae was the key battle of the second punic war and is still considered a masterpiece of military tactic, the most successful example of an encirclement maneuver accomplished by an army numerically inferior to the opponents. The battle cannot be considered only in loss of manpower. Viewed in a broader historical context, the roman losses at. Battle of cannaes tactical scope presented by a superb animation. Jul 19, 2019 various accounts of the battle of cannae show that 50,00070,000 of the romans, with 3,5004,500 taken prisoner. Waterloo film battle of waterloo event logistics wargaming terrain military diorama napoleonic. This book does not offer an indepth history of this conflict, for that you should refer to adrian goldsworthys brilliant account. They were faced off against the legions of aemilius paullus and caius terrentius varro, the consuls of rome. The battle took place on august 2nd, 216 bce in southern italy gabriel 45. 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.
This battle, which took place at cannae, was the masterpiece of hannibal barca, and is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular military victories of all time. The battle of cannae was a battle that took place in 1018 between the byzantines under the catepan of italy basil boioannes and the lombards under melus of bari. The battle of cannae was a key engagement of the second punic war between the roman republic and carthage, fought on 2 august 216 bc near the ancient. Battle of cannae simple english wikipedia, the free. The romans were crushed by the african, gallic, and celtiberian troops of hannibal, with. Cannae and hannibal history of puglia the thinking. This conflict has been greatly celebrated in history, not only for its magnitude, and the terrible desperation with which it was fought, but also on account of the strong dramatic interest which the circumstances at tending it are fitted to excite.
Mar 24, 2020 the battle of cannae 2 august 216 bce was the decisive victory of the carthaginian army over roman forces at cannae, southeast italy, during the second punic war 218202 bce. Strategic formations of the battle of cannae legio i lynx. The battle of cannae is one that shows how great of a military strategist carthages hannibal truly was. I have played gamesscenarios covering the battle of cannae and i am interested in moremuch more. Jul, 2010 the ghosts of romes loss at the battle of cannae ancient rome is often thought of as consistently victorious but its defeat at the hands of carthage in 216 b. The carthaginian army under hannibal destroyed a numerically superior roman army under command of the consuls lucius aemilius paullus and gaius terentius varro. For of the six thousand cavalry, seventy escaped to venusia with terentius, and about three hundred of the allied horse reached different. Map of the battle of cannae, 216 bc initial attack. Hannibal, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his men, positions the gallic and iberian swordsmen in the center, with his punic veteran phalanxes stationed on both. The ghosts of romes loss at the battle of cannae ancient rome is often thought of as consistently victorious but its defeat at the hands of carthage in 216 b. Battle of cannae, 215 bc area today a map of the area around the battle positions battle of cannae, 215 bc summary. Strategic formations of the battle of cannae august, 216 b.
In 202 bc, one of the few survivors of cannae, publius cornelius scipio africanus, known variously as scipio africanus major, scipio africanus the elder and scipio the great who was embarrassingly exiled to sicily after the shame in 216 bc, took on hannibals army at the battle of zama using tricks and tactics learned at cannae and won his. Battle of cannae and hannibal hannibal the warrior. A movie could never capture the horrific scene that cannae must have been. It is known that approximately 14,000 were able to cut their way out and reach the town of canusium. The ensuing days battle would be the turning point for the second punic war, and the course of roman and carthaginian history. The battle of cannae 216 bc ancient warfare, ancient war. In a classic example of doubleenvelopment maneuver, an underfortified hannibal inflicted the greatest ever defeat on the forces of rome, who marched eight legions strong into their surprising defeat. A video from invicta discussing the the battle of cannae. At cannae the romans confronted hannibal with an army of 80,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. It was hannibals finest hour and forced the romans to learn a painful lesson. Hannibal faced them with 40,000 foot and 10,000 horse. The battle of cannae in the summer of 216 bc is a milestone in roman history. This article appeared on wikipedias main page as todays featured article on january 23, 2007.
Cannae was one of the biggest military disaster in the history of roman republic. Battle of cannae, august 216 bce, battle fought near the ancient village of cannae, in southern apulia modern puglia, southeastern italy, between the forces of rome and carthage during the second punic war. Dec 17, 2016 more soldiers died at cannae than on the first day of the battle of the somme on the western front in 1916. The battle of cannae occurred on august 2, 216 bce in southeast italy between carthaginian forces led by hannibal barca and roman forces. The history and legacy of ancient romes most decisive military defeat charles river editors on. Here are the following games that i have found that cover the battle on bgg either the whole game is dedicated to the battle or it contains a scenarios covering the. The history and legacy of ancient romes most decisive military defeat. Western commanders have been trying to replicate it since it happened over two millennia ago. The supersized roman army present at cannae could easily have avoided its demise were it not for the unfortunate choice consul varro made to deploy this huge mass of soldiers in such a tight and narrowly fronted fashion opposite the carthaginian h. Battle of cannae second punic war war movies on war movies info. It is a testament to the great luck and tenacity of the romans that they survived this. It is 200 years before the birth of christ and rome is the new superpower of the ancient world.
It is 200 years before the birth of christ and rome is. The battle of cannae was the bloodiest battle the ancient world had ever seen. On the left bank was more room and here varro could have made proper use of of his numerical advantage. Republican rome was pushed to the brink of collapse on august 2, 216 b. It took place on 2 august 216 bc in cannae, apulia, in southeast italy. Hannibal going over the alps, the battle of cannae, war elephants, and the major characters of this epic conflict are worthwhile looking at. Battle of cannae in the second punic war thoughtco. Please see the links under article milestones below for its original nomination page for older articles, check the nomination archive and why it was removed.