History of Wars Summary 16 - The Second Punic War Part 5: The Battle of Cannae and Rome's Crisis

In 216 BC, Rome organized a large-scale army to decisively defeat Hannibal. The Roman army, led by two consuls, gathered approximately 80,000 troops and confronted the Carthaginian forces at Cannae in southern Italy. Hannibal positioned Gallic and Iberian infantry in the center, with strong cavalry and infantry on both flanks. As the Roman army pushed the center, the Carthaginian forces intentionally retreated, and the troops on the flanks narrowed the encirclement inwards. Subsequently, Carthaginian cavalry attacked the Roman rear, trapping the Roman army from all sides. The Battle of Cannae resulted in immense casualties for Rome, and some of Rome's allies wavered. Several cities in southern Italy, including Capua, defected from Rome or approached Carthage. However, Rome did not surrender. Citizens continued to recruit troops, and the Senate opted for a war of attrition. Cannae was Hannibal's most famous victory, but it failed to collapse the Roman state system.