Cannae

by Goldsworthy, Adrian

• ISBN13: 9780304357147
• ISBN10: 0304357146
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-03-01
• Publisher: Cassell

Summary

On 2 August 216BC, Hannibal won his greatest victory in the plain north of the small, hilltop town of Cannae in southern Italy. By the end of the day his outnumbered mercenaries had enveloped and massacred the greater part of the largest army Rome had ever fielded, turning this into one of the bloodiest battles ever fought, rivalling even the industrialised slaughter of the twentieth century AD. For the Romans Cannae became the yardstick by which other defeats were measured, never surpassed and only once or twice equalled in the next six centuries. Cannae remains one of the most famous battles ever fought, frequently alluded to in modern military writing, and Hannibal's tactics are still taught in the military academies where today's officers are trained. This volume is a brand new look at the battle, and explains clearly and concisely exactly how it was that Hannibal achieved his historic victory.

Author Biography

"Adrian Goldsworthy is one of our more promising young military historians today."--John Keegan

Among Goldsworthy's many books are Roman Warfare in John Keegan's History of War series, and The Punic Wars.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	7	(2)
Foreword	9	(4)
Richard Holmes
Introduction	13	(4)
Carthage, Rome and the Punic Wars	17	(24)
The Second Punic War	22	(2)
Hannibal Barca	24	(4)
Invasion, 218-217 BC	28	(9)
'The Delayer', Summer to Autumn 217 BC	37	(4)
Rival Armies	41	(18)
The Roman Military System	41	(9)
The Carthaginian Military System and Hannibal's Army	50	(9)
The Campaign of 216 BC	59	(24)
The Leaders	60	(4)
The Led	64	(6)
The Plan	70	(4)
The Campaign	74	(9)
The Battle of Cannae, 2 August 216 BC	83	(74)
Locating the Battlefield	86	(9)
Initial Deployment	95	(18)
The Battle
Opening Moves	113	(5)
The Cavalry Clash on the Wings	118	(9)
The Roman Centre Advances	127	(5)
The Charge to Contact	132	(11)
Encirclement	143	(7)
Annihilation	150	(7)
The Aftermath	157	(23)
Mopping Up	157	(3)
How to Use a Victory	160	(8)
The Long Struggle, 216-201 BC	168	(8)
Cannae in History	176	(4)
Notes	180	(8)
Appendix 1: Numbers	188	(4)
Appendix 2: Casualties	192	(3)
Glossary	195