Cannae Massacre: Hannibal Destroys Roman Army
Cannae was Rome's worst military defeat. Hannibal had 45,000 soldiers. Rome had 87,000. Hannibal surrounded them all. By nightfall, somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 Romans were dead — including a consul, two former consuls, and eighty senators. Rome did not surrender. Instead it raised new armies, replaced its officers, and changed how it fought. It took sixteen more years, but Rome won. Hannibal's tactical masterpiece at Cannae is still studied in military academies worldwide. He won the battle. He lost the war.
August 2, 216 BC
Key Figures & Places
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