Hannibal's Last Battle

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Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473814812
Total Pages : 382 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Hannibal's Last Battle by : Brian Todd Carey

Download or read book Hannibal's Last Battle written by Brian Todd Carey and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-10-18 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “crisply written, well researched . . . superb piece of scholarship about one of the most dramatic and decisive battles in the ancient world” (Journal of Military History). At Zama (in what is now Tunisia) in 202 BC, the armies of two great empires clashed: the Romans under Scipio Africanus and Carthaginians, led by Hannibal. Scipio’s forces would win a decisive, bloody victory that forever shifted the balance of power in the ancient world. Thereafter, Rome became the dominant civilization of the Mediterranean. Here, Brian Todd Carey recounts that battle and the grueling war that led up to it. He offers fascinating insight into the Carthaginian and Roman methods of waging war, their military organizations, equipment, and the tactics the armies employed. He also delivers an in-depth critical assessment of the contrasting qualities and leadership styles of Hannibal and Scipio, the two most celebrated commanders of their age. With vivid prose and detailed maps of the terrains of the time, Hannibal’s Last Battle is an essential text for fans of military history and students of the classical period.

The Battle of Cannae and the Battle of Zama

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 76 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (474 download)

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Book Synopsis The Battle of Cannae and the Battle of Zama by :

Download or read book The Battle of Cannae and the Battle of Zama written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-05-20 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of ancient accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading Carthage was one of the great ancient civilizations, and at its peak, the wealthy Carthaginian empire dominated the Mediterranean against the likes of Greece and Rome, with commercial enterprises and influence stretching from Spain to Turkey. In fact, at several points in history it had a very real chance of replacing the fledgling Roman empire or the failing Greek poleis (city-states) altogether as master of the Mediterranean. Although Carthage by far preferred to exert economic pressure and influence before resorting to direct military power (and even went so far as to rely primarily on mercenary armies paid with its vast wealth for much of its history, it nonetheless produced a number of outstanding generals, from the likes of Hanno Magnus to, of course, the great bogeyman of Roman nightmares himself: Hannibal. Certain foreign policy decisions led to continuing enmity between Carthage and the burgeoning power of Rome, and what followed was a series of wars which turned from a battle for Mediterranean hegemony into an all-out struggle for survival. Although the Romans gained the upper hand in the wake of the First Punic War, Hannibal brought the Romans to their knees for over a decade during the Second Punic War. While military historians are still amazed that he was able to maintain his army in Italy near Rome for nearly 15 years, scholars are still puzzled over some of his decisions, including why he never attempted to march on Rome in the first place. Cannae is still considered one of the greatest tactical victories in the history of warfare, and the fact the battle was a complete victory resulting in the wholesale annihilation of the enemy army made it the textbook example for military commanders to try to duplicate. Of course, others usually were unsuccessful. Cannae was the kind of complete victory that every commander from Caesar to Frederick the Great to Napoleon to Robert E. Lee sought, and that few generals save Caesar and Napoleon bagged whole armies is a testament to the near impossibility of achieving a victory like Cannae. On October 19, 202 BCE, on the plain of Zama in modern Tunisia, battle was joined, and for the first time in one of the battles of the Second Punic War, Hannibal had the infantry advantage and Rome had the cavalry advantage. The result would decide the fate of the Second Punic War and the course of history. While he remains far less known than Hannibal, Publius Cornelius Scipio, the man who has become known to history as Scipio Africanus, is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of all time. In the space of less than 10 years, the genius of Scipio took Rome from being on the brink of utter destruction to becoming the dominant power in the Mediterranean. He displayed not just acute understanding of the tactical needs of the battlefield but also a strategic overview that consistently allowed him to confound his enemies. Scipio has been described as "the embodiment of grand strategy, as his campaigns are the supreme example in history of its meaning." Not surprisingly, after the serious threat Hannibal posed during the Second Punic War, the Romans didn't wait much longer to take the fight to the Carthaginians in the Third Punic War, which ended with Roman legions smashing Carthage to rubble. As legend has it, the Romans literally salted the ground upon which Carthage stood to ensure its destruction once and for all. Despite having a major influence on the Mediterranean for nearly five centuries, little evidence of Carthage's past might survives. The Battle of Cannae and the Battle of Zama: The History and Legacy of the Second Punic War's Most Important Battles chronicles two of the most influential and decisive battles of antiquity.

Cannae

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134507127
Total Pages : 271 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (345 download)

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Book Synopsis Cannae by : Gregory Daly

Download or read book Cannae written by Gregory Daly and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-08-18 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On a hot and dusty summer's day in 216 BC, the forces of the Carthaginian general Hannibal faced the Roman army in a dramatic encounter at Cannae. Massively outnumbered, the Carthaginians nevertheless won an astonishing victory - one that left more than 50,000 men dead. Gregory Daly's enthralling study considers the reasons that led the two armies to the field of battle, and why each followed the course that they did when they got there. It explores in detail the composition of the armies, and the tactics and leadership methods of the opposing generals. Finally, by focusing on the experiences of those who fought, Daly gives an unparalleled portrait of the true horror and chaos of ancient warfare. This striking and vivid account is the fullest yet of the bloodiest battle in ancient history.

Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134507119
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (345 download)

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Book Synopsis Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War by : Gregory Daly

Download or read book Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War written by Gregory Daly and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-08-18 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On a hot and dusty summer's day in 216 BC, the forces of the Carthaginian general Hannibal faced the Roman army in a dramatic encounter at Cannae. Massively outnumbered, the Carthaginians nevertheless won an astonishing victory - one that left more than 50,000 men dead. Gregory Daly's enthralling study considers the reasons that led the two armies to the field of battle, and why each followed the course that they did when they got there. It explores in detail the composition of the armies, and the tactics and leadership methods of the opposing generals. Finally, by focusing on the experiences of those who fought, Daly gives an unparalleled portrait of the true horror and chaos of ancient warfare. This striking and vivid account is the fullest yet of the bloodiest battle in ancient history.

The Ghosts of Cannae

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Author :
Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 0812978676
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis The Ghosts of Cannae by : Robert L. O'Connell

Download or read book The Ghosts of Cannae written by Robert L. O'Connell and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2011-09-13 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER For millennia, Carthage’s triumph over Rome at Cannae in 216 B.C. has inspired reverence and awe. No general since has matched Hannibal’s most unexpected, innovative, and brutal military victory. Now Robert L. O’Connell, one of the most admired names in military history, tells the whole story of Cannae for the first time, giving us a stirring account of this apocalyptic battle, its causes and consequences. O’Connell brilliantly conveys how Rome amassed a giant army to punish Carthage’s masterful commander, how Hannibal outwitted enemies that outnumbered him, and how this disastrous pivot point in Rome’s history ultimately led to the republic’s resurgence and the creation of its empire. Piecing together decayed shreds of ancient reportage, the author paints powerful portraits of the leading players, from Hannibal—resolutely sane and uncannily strategic—to Scipio Africanus, the self-promoting Roman military tribune. Finally, O’Connell reveals how Cannae’s legend has inspired and haunted military leaders ever since, and the lessons it teaches for our own wars.

Zama 202 BC

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472814231
Total Pages : 100 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Zama 202 BC by : Mir Bahmanyar

Download or read book Zama 202 BC written by Mir Bahmanyar and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The battle of Zama, fought across North Africa around 202 BC, was the final large-scale clash of arms between the world's two greatest western powers of the time – Carthage and Rome. The engagement ended the Second Punic War, waged from 218 until 201 BC. The armies were led by two of the most famous commanders of all time – the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal, renowned for crossing the Alps with his army into Italy, and the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio, who along with his father was among the defeated at the battle of Cannae in 216 BC. Drawing upon years of research, author Mir Bahmanyar gives a detailed account of this closing battle, analysing the tactics employed by each general and the forces they had at their disposal. Stunning, specially commissioned artwork brings to life the epic clash that saw Hannibal defeated and Rome claim its spot as the principal Mediterranean power.

Cannae

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Author :
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 1541699246
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (416 download)

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Book Synopsis Cannae by : Adrian Goldsworthy

Download or read book Cannae written by Adrian Goldsworthy and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2019-05-21 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an award-winning historian of ancient Rome, the definitive history of Rome's most devastating defeat August 2, 216 BC was one of history's bloodiest single days of fighting. On a narrow plain near the Southern Italian town of Cannae, despite outnumbering their opponents almost two to one, a massive Roman army was crushed by the heterogeneous forces of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who had spectacularly crossed the Alps into Italy two years earlier. The scale of the losses at Cannae--50,000 Roman men killed--was unrivaled until the industrialized slaughter of the First World War. Although the Romans eventually recovered and Carthage lost the war, the Battle of Cannae became Romans' point of reference for all later military catastrophes. Ever since, military commanders confronting a superior force have attempted, and usually failed, to reproduce Hannibal's tactics and their overwhelming success. In Cannae, the celebrated historian Adrian Goldsworthy offers a concise and enthralling history of one of the most famous battles ever waged, setting Cannae within the larger contexts of the Second Punic War and the nature of warfare in the third century BC. It is a gripping read for historians, strategists, and anyone curious about warfare in antiquity and Rome's rise to power.

The Battle of Cannae

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Author :
Publisher : Osprey Publishing
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 100 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis The Battle of Cannae by : Mark Healy

Download or read book The Battle of Cannae written by Mark Healy and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2000-08-25 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Regarded as one of the greatest battles in history, the Battle of Cannae was the most catastrophic defeat ever suffered by the Roman Army. The battle is a masterpiece of battlefield control and Hannibal's stratagem has become a model of the perfectly fought battle, studied in detail at military academies all over the world. This fascinating account reconstructs the battle in detail as well as studying Hannibal's Italian campaign in general, with particular attention to the battles of the Trebbia and Lake Trasimene.

Kbor Klib and the Battle of Zama

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Author :
Publisher : BAR International Series
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 102 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Kbor Klib and the Battle of Zama by : Duncan Ross

Download or read book Kbor Klib and the Battle of Zama written by Duncan Ross and published by BAR International Series. This book was released on 2005 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the remote countryside of north-central Tunisia, between the cities of Siliana and Le Kef, stands a ruined stone structure known as Kbor Klib. A thorough examination of North African archaeological documentation reveals that the monument has over the years been the subject of a variety of descriptions, discussions and investigations.

The Death of Carthage

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Publisher : Trafford Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1426996071
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (269 download)

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Book Synopsis The Death of Carthage by : Robin E. Levin

Download or read book The Death of Carthage written by Robin E. Levin and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Death of Carthage tells the story of the Second and third Punic wars that took place between ancient Rome and Carthage in three parts. The first book, Carthage Must Be Destroyed, covering the second Punic war, is told in the first person by Lucius Tullius Varro, a young Roman of equestrian status who is recruited into the Roman cavalry at the beginning of the war in 218 BC. Lucius serves in Spain under the Consul Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the Proconsul Cneius Cornelius Scipio. Captivus, the second book, is narrated by Lucius's first cousin Enneus, who is recruited to the Roman cavalry under Gaius Flaminius and taken prisoner by Hannibal's general Maharbal after the disastrous Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene in 217 BC. Enneus is transported to Greece and sold as a slave, where he is put to work as a shepherd on a large estate and establishes his life there. The third and final book, The Death of Carthage, is narrated by Enneus's son, Ectorius. As a rare bilingual, Ectorius becomes a translator and serves in the Roman army during the war and witnesses the total destruction of Carthage in the year 146 BC. This historical saga, full of minute details on day-to-day life in ancient times, depicts two great civilizations on the cusp of influencing the world for centuries to come.

The Battle of Zama

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 112 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (392 download)

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Book Synopsis The Battle of Zama by :

Download or read book The Battle of Zama written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of ancient accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading It is rare to find a single battle that is truly decisive in shaping the course of subsequent history, but occasionally a battle becomes pivotal in retrospect, defining and shaping what comes after it. The Battle of Zama, which pitted the army of the Roman Republic against the forces of Carthage on the plains of North Africa, was one such battle, and it featured two of history's greatest generals on opposing sides. Fought between two empires fighting for hegemony in the Mediterranean and beyond, the victor would become the most important power in the region and dominate the civilized world for centuries, while the loser would decline in power and vanish almost completely in less than 100 years. Carthage was one of the great ancient civilizations, and at its peak, the wealthy Carthaginian empire dominated the Mediterranean against the likes of Greece and Rome, with commercial enterprises and influence stretching from Spain to Turkey. In fact, at several points in history it had a very real chance of replacing the fledgling Roman empire or the failing Greek poleis (city-states) altogether as master of the Mediterranean. Although Carthage by far preferred to exert economic pressure and influence before resorting to direct military power (and even went so far as to rely primarily on mercenary armies paid with its vast wealth for much of its history, it nonetheless produced a number of outstanding generals, from the likes of Hanno Magnus to, of course, the great bogeyman of Roman nightmares himself: Hannibal. Although the Romans gained the upper hand in the wake of the First Punic War, Hannibal brought the Romans to their knees for over a decade during the Second Punic War. While military historians are still amazed that he was able to maintain his army in Italy near Rome for nearly 15 years, scholars are still puzzled over some of his decisions, including why he never attempted to march on Rome in the first place. While Hannibal had been in Italy, it had been relatively easy for the Carthaginian oligarchy, particularly the Hundred and Four, a federation of powerful traders, and Hannibal's chief political rival, Hanno the Great, to marginalize him. For years his political party, the Barcids, had struggled to obtain even a token amount of funds and troops for his enterprise, but Hannibal's arrival on the scene changed all that. On October 19, 202 BCE, on the plain of Zama in modern Tunisia, battle was joined, and for the first time in one of the battles of the Second Punic War, Hannibal had the infantry advantage and Rome had the cavalry advantage. The result would decide the fate of the Second Punic War and the course of history. While he remains far less known than Hannibal, Publius Cornelius Scipio, the man who has become known to history as Scipio Africanus, is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of all time. In the space of less than 10 years, the genius of Scipio took Rome from being on the brink of utter destruction to becoming the dominant power in the Mediterranean. He displayed not just acute understanding of the tactical needs of the battlefield but also a strategic overview that consistently allowed him to confound his enemies. Scipio has been described as "the embodiment of grand strategy, as his campaigns are the supreme example in history of its meaning." The Battle of Zama: The History of the Battle Between Rome and Carthage that Decided the Second Punic War examines one of antiquity's most important battles, from its origins to its aftermath. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Battle of Zama like never before.

Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hannibal

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Author :
Publisher : Open Book Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1783741325
Total Pages : 174 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (837 download)

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Book Synopsis Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hannibal by : Bret Mulligan

Download or read book Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hannibal written by Bret Mulligan and published by Open Book Publishers. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trebia. Trasimene. Cannae. With three stunning victories, Hannibal humbled Rome and nearly shattered its empire. Even today Hannibal's brilliant, if ultimately unsuccessful, campaign against Rome during the Second Punic War (218-202 BC) make him one of history's most celebrated military leaders. This biography by Cornelius Nepos (c. 100-27 BC) sketches Hannibal's life from the time he began traveling with his father's army as a young boy, through his sixteen-year invasion of Italy and his tumultuous political career in Carthage, to his perilous exile and eventual suicide in the East. As Rome completed its bloody transition from dysfunctional republic to stable monarchy, Nepos labored to complete an innovative and influential collection of concise biographies. Putting aside the detailed, chronological accounts of military campaigns and political machinations that characterized most writing about history, Nepos surveyed Roman and Greek history for distinguished men who excelled in a range of prestigious occupations. In the exploits and achievements of these illustrious men, Nepos hoped that his readers would find models for the honorable conduct of their own lives. Although most of Nepos' works have been lost, we are fortunate to have his biography of Hannibal. Nepos offers a surprisingly balanced portrayal of a man that most Roman authors vilified as the most monstrous foe that Rome had ever faced. Nepos' straightforward style and his preference for common vocabulary make Life of Hannibal accessible for those who are just beginning to read continuous Latin prose, while the historical interest of the subject make it compelling for readers of every ability.

The Hannibalian war, part of the 21st and 22nd books of Livy, adapted by G.C. Macaulay

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.R/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis The Hannibalian war, part of the 21st and 22nd books of Livy, adapted by G.C. Macaulay by : Titus Livius

Download or read book The Hannibalian war, part of the 21st and 22nd books of Livy, adapted by G.C. Macaulay written by Titus Livius and published by . This book was released on 1880 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Hannibal

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 726 pages
Book Rating : 4.A/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Hannibal by : Theodore Ayrault Dodge

Download or read book Hannibal written by Theodore Ayrault Dodge and published by . This book was released on 1891 with total page 726 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Hannibal

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439102171
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

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Book Synopsis Hannibal by : Patrick Hunt

Download or read book Hannibal written by Patrick Hunt and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-07-11 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the greatest commanders of the ancient world brought vividly to life: Hannibal, the brilliant general who successfully crossed the Alps with his war elephants and brought Rome to its knees. Hannibal Barca of Carthage, born 247 BC, was one of the great generals of the ancient world. Historian Patrick N. Hunt has led archeological expeditions in the Alps and elsewhere to study Hannibal's achievements. Now he brings Hannibal's incredible story to life in this book

Battle Digest: Cannae

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Author :
Publisher : Savas Beatie
ISBN 13 : 1649216955
Total Pages : 6 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (492 download)

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Book Synopsis Battle Digest: Cannae by : Christopher J. Petty

Download or read book Battle Digest: Cannae written by Christopher J. Petty and published by Savas Beatie. This book was released on 2020-08-15 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned. During the Second Punic War (218 – 201 B.C.), after Hannibal had been handing Rome defeats and losses for nearly two years, the Roman Senate had finally had enough. After raising the largest army they had ever fielded, they sent it against Hannibal, who had just seized an important grain supply depot at Cannae. But Hannibal was more than ready. On that fateful day, he handed Rome one of the most crushing defeats in history.

The Battle of Cannae

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Author :
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781517302801
Total Pages : 54 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (28 download)

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Book Synopsis The Battle of Cannae by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Battle of Cannae written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-09-11 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of the battle *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Few battles of ancient times are more marked by ability...than the battle of Cannae. The position was such as to place every advantage on Hannibal's side. The manner in which the far from perfect Hispanic and Gallic foot was advanced in a wedge in echelon...was first held there and then withdrawn step by step, until it had reached the converse position...is a simple masterpiece of battle tactics. The advance at the proper moment of the African infantry, and its wheel right and left upon the flanks of the disordered and crowded Roman legionaries, is far beyond praise. The whole battle, from the Carthaginian standpoint, is a consummate piece of art, having no superior, few equal, examples in the history of war." - Theodore Dodge, military historian Although the Romans gained the upper hand over Carthage in the wake of the First Punic War, the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal brought the Romans to their knees for over a decade during the Second Punic War. While military historians are still amazed that he was able to maintain his army in Italy near Rome for nearly 15 years, scholars are still puzzled over some of his decisions, including why he never attempted to march on Rome in the first place. Regardless, Hannibal was such a threat that the Romans responded in an unprecedented nature when the Carthaginians resumed the campaigning season in the spring of 216 BCE by capturing the city of Cannae, a crucial supply hub, and placing themselves along the line that convoys from the ports and warehouses of the south needed to travel to reach Rome. This was something the Romans could not and did not take lying down; Rome raised the largest army in their city's history, a force of between 80,000 and 100,000 men, and marched south with Consuls Varro and Paullus at the head of the army. This military behemoth disregarded the delaying tactics that Maximus had favored, fully determined to destroy Hannibal once and for all as quickly as possible. Despite the massive horde headed his way, Hannibal was ready for them. He encamped his army near the Aufidus, a river not far from Cannae, and waited. His intelligence told him that Consul Varro, the more influential of the two Roman generals, was a firebrand, talented in attack but with a tendency to overreach himself, and Hannibal resolved to use this flaw to his advantage. Hannibal arrayed his army in the open, sure that Varro would be unable to resist the temptation to offer battle, and then deliberately placed his weakest infantry in the center of his battle-line. Varro led the Roman legions straight at the centre of Hannibal's formation, proceeding in characteristic bull-headed fashion and spearheading the assault himself. Hannibal's troops in the center yielded before the legions, as Hannibal had anticipated, sucking the bulk of the Roman force deep into the centre of Hannibal's formation. Meanwhile, the wings of Hannibal's infantry automatically swung against the flanks of the Roman force while Hannibal's cavalry, led by his celebrated general Maharbal, crushed the Roman cavalry and light infantry deployed to protect the formation's flanks and rear and, in so doing, succeeded in encircling it completely. The Roman force now found itself unable to run or maneuver, completely surrounded by Hannibal's forces. It was one of the earliest examples of the pincer movement in the history of warfare. The result was a massacre, one of the most vicious battles in the history of the world. Around 75% of the Roman army was cut down in the ensuing melee, which would be in the vicinity of between 50,000-80,000 soldiers depending on which initial estimates are considered to be accurate. Among the casualties was the luckless Consul Paullus."