Roman Army

in the 3rd
Century BC
 Hannibal Rising
• Hamilcar Barca dies in battle, in Spain; having
been killed by native tribes 228BC
– He received a delegation from Rome, who asked his
intentions and signed peace treaty (Ebro River) 3yrs
later—Telamon
• Power goes to Hasdrubal (the Fair); brother-in-law
until 221BC when Hannibal took command
– Livy says “The troops saw in Hannbial their old
commander, Hamilcar, reborn”
Hannibal Barca
 It Begins
• 219 BC, Saguntum laid siege by Hannibal
– Rome sends senators to Spain, to inquire with
Hannbial; he sends them off
– The senators proceed to Carthage, ask the
Carthaginian Senate to recall him—they refuse.
• Senator/Fabius Maximus asks them “I hold in the
folds of my toga both peace and war. What do you
choose?”
• They yell out “War!” Fabius throws down the left
side of his toga, and yells, “then it is war!”
Hannibal crosses the Alps in
the winter of 218BC

2/3 of his army is lost along

the way (60k Polybius)
 Battle of the Trebbia River, late
218 BC
Scipio is still wounded in
camp (previous cavalry
skirmish at Ticinnus).
Sempronius Longus is
lured across the river.
Mago is hiding with 2,000
troops.
Sempronius and the center
punch through the
Carthaginian center and
retire in safety.
The Romans loose around
20,000 men.
Hannibal shows tactical genius and knowledge of his advisory
Hannibal Crosses
the Alps in early
winter of 218 BC.

Trebbia (218)
Trasimene (217)
Cannae (216)
Lake Trasimene
Early 217 BC
Romans: Roughly 20,000 and as many
allied units
Hannibal sets a trap by the shore of Lacus
Trasimenus
In the morning mist, Hannibal drives
the Romans into the lake.
30,000 killed; 4,000 prisoner; 6,000
escape but are captured.
Reinforcing force of 4,000 sent from
Rome--destroyed.
The consul, Gaius Flaminius is killed in
battle. A former consul, Marcus Atilius
Regulus, takes over for the year (son of
Marcus, brother to Gaius killed in 225 at
Telamon).
Quintus Fabius Maximus made
The Ambush
 Shore between the lake and the hills Exit

Entrance
Cannae Battle Site
 The March Past Rome
• Rome braces for a siege by Hannibal that
does not come.
– Hannibal marches south into Apulia “setting
free” Greek city states, the Samnites, and
anyone willing to abandon Rome.
– Hannibal ad portas! ‘Hannibal is at the gates!’
– Rome continues avoiding direct engagement
The Battle of Cannae, 216 BC
Hannibal ravages Roman lands, mocking them.
- The Romans are tired of Fabian tactics (the Delayer)
They amass a huge army and put both consuls in command:
Varro (rash) and Paullus (conservative)
Romans muster 16 legions, 87,000 men (twice Hannibal’s
number)
The consuls do not agree how to fight, so they alternate days.
- Varro, spoiling for a fight
- Paullus, cautious
Hannibal attacks when Varro is in command.
 Units
• Roman • Carthage
– 87,000 infantry – 40,000 infantry
– 6,400 cavalry – 10,000 cavalry
– Varro and Paullus both • Numidian
fight – Mago and Hannibal
fight in the line
 Cannae con’t
Hannibal fights in the center on foot. He places the weakest
unit, the Gauls in the center with him. He exposes them to
provoke the Romans.
Varro orders the units close ranks, to smash the
Carthaginian center.
The Carthaginian center falls back on command, the
Romans—thinking that they are breaking them, rush in.
The Roman cavalry is chased off the field, and Hannibal’s
Spanish units move in along the side, encircling the
Romans. The Carthaginian cavalry return, closing the box.
A massacre ensues.
It’s called a double-envelopment.
 Casualties
The battle lasts 4 hours that August afternoon.
Livy says 50,000 Romans die.
Polybius says 70,000 die. Those who escape, including Varro return to
Rome (including Scipio the Younger). Paullus falls fighting in the battle.
Both consuls from the preceeding year.
29 out of 48 military tribunes
80 senators out of 300 (30% of the Senate)
85% of the army was destroyed. Those who survived were exiled to
Sicily as punishment.
Carthaginian losses were about 16,000, mostly Gauls from Italy or Spain.