Battle of Cannae

One of the greatest victories for Hannibal and his allies in the Second Punic War was at the battle of Cannae, on the banks of the Aufidus River in 216 BC. The Roman force was led by the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus. Allied Punic cavalry attacked the much weaker Roman right flank during the battle and then ran to the rear to attack Rome's Latin allies from the rear, who engaged the Numidian horse cavalry. by Hannibal. It was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy, and known as one of the biggest events of the Second Punic War.

Historians say that by the end of the battle of Cannae, 45,500 Roman infantry along with 2,700 cavalries had died, with additional numbers taken prisoner. This result chilled Rome and its allies with suspicion and raised the confidence of the Carthaginians and other rival tribes. Polybius even notes how much more serious Cannae's defeat was than it can be seen by the behavior of Rome's allies. Before that fateful day, their loyalty remained unshaken, now it began to falter for the simple reason that they were desperate for Roman power.

• Time: 216 BC