Fighting Hannibal: A First Hand Account - The Battle of Cannae

You have survived the madness of Trebia and the annihilation that occurred at Lake Trasimene, and now you find yourself in the middle of the line here at Cannae. One man among the largest assembly of Roman power in known history. Infantry, cavalry and light arms spread across two heavily fortified camps (1). Now this Hannibal and his Carthaginian rabble will feel the anger of Rome.

The last few days have seen minor skirmishes back and forth with the Carthaginians over the important supply depot at Cannae (2). The combining of the two Roman armies into this one unstoppable beast has found you in a bizarre situation. Alternates days sees one of the two consuls in command, Lucius Aemilus Paullus and Gaius Tarentius Varro.

Yesterday when Paullus was in charge he refused to fight when Hannibal lined up for battle. A cautious man. You sat in the camp and watched as Carthaginians harried your armies water carriers (3). So, today under the command of Varro, you are formed up in line, licking parched lips and staring across the plain at the Carthaginian army.

Standing firm you feel strong. The Roman line has been drawn up extra deep. You were at Trebia, you were part of the line that punched through the Carthaginian forces, making a mockery of their strength. This Hannibal and his men only ever win when they are being tricky and using hidden troops, but this open field won't allow that. Now they are faced head on by pure Roman power and the fools have lined up with a river at their backs (4). They will be pushed in to the waters and they will die. How can they win?

Facing you in the centre of the line are Iberians and Gauls. This "great general" Hannibal has erred. He has put his Carthaginians on his flanks, leaving these weak men for the Roman legions to grind to nothing. The sun hanging low in the sky shines into your eyes, but you are not worried. Gods you could use a drink though. The bugle sounds and this immense army of Rome moves forwards. You hear the cavalry engaging but your focus is on the Gauls and Iberians in front of you (5).

Smashing into the opposing force, they visibly shrink back in front of you and the eagles of Rome (6). Today victory will be yours. Trebia and Trasimene will be repaid upon the swords of the legions. As you move forwards the Gauls and Iberians fall back under the command of Hannibal. Behind you Romans troops push in behind you, forcing the Gauls and Iberians further back. You catch a glimpse of the Carthaginian forces on the wings almost level with the back line of your troops. Unengaged, but if you push through the men in front of you the opposing army will fall into disarray.

Too late you realise the error. With your cavalry driven off, the battle hardened Carthaginian forces turn inwards on the semi-circle the Roman forces have created by pushing back the Iberian and Gaulish troops. To finish the victory the Carthaginian cavalry crash into the back of your Roman troops (7).

Encircled and cut off, men start to fall around you. You survived the madness of Trebia and the chaos of Lake Trasimene but you see the end in sight. Jupiter be damned. A sword slices your left arm and you drop your shield. A spear hits you in the leg and you stumble with the pain. Who can ever beat this man Hannibal? Truly he is the greatest general alive (8).

A sword pushes through your ribs and you fall to the dust. Your long campaign, finally over.

1. Livy writes that their are so many different authorities on the "number and nature of the forces" that it is difficult to say what force the Romans actually presented. However he does say "according to these writers, there were 87,200 men in the Roman camp when the battle of Cannae was fought" Ab Urbe Condita Book 22 Chapter 36.
2. "He seized on the citadel of a town called Cannae, in which the Romans had collected the corn and other supplies from the country" Polybius Book 3 Chapter 107
3. Polybius writes that in an attempt to draw the Romans into a battle he sent out the Numidian cavalry to try and force the issue. 

The Death of Aemilius Paulus" by John Trumbull

4. The Carthaginian forces are put at ten thousand cavalry and their infantry at no more than forty thousand by both Polybius and Livy. The Roman army vastly outnumbered the forces Hannibal fielded.
5. The Carthaginian cavalry were far superior to the Roman cavalry and quickly drove it off removing its protective cover from the flanks of the legions.
6. "The Romans, however, following up the Celts and pressing on to the centre and that part of the enemy's line which was giving way, progressed so far that they now had the heavy-armed Africans on both of their flanks" Polybius Book 3 Chapter 115. 

Battle of Cannae 

7. With the Carthaginian cavalry sealing off the final route of escape for the Roman troops, the legions again found themselves tricked by Hannibal and defeated. 
8. The Battle of Cannae was the worst defeat that a Roman army ever suffered "and now almost the whole of Italy, were in the possession of Hanibal" Livy Book 22 Chapter 54. Rome was left with a only a few remaining armies. In the course of three battles Hannibal had defeated Rome again and again and again. When offered the chance of a peace treaty under moderate terms Rome rejected the offer, raised new legions and took the fight back to Carthage and an eventual win. But there is no denying that Hannibal is one the of the greatest generals to have ever lived.


Thanks for Reading
James