Battle of Cannae facts for kids

The Battle of Cannae was a very important battle during the Second Punic War. It happened on August 2, 216 BC, in a place called Cannae in Apulia, which is in southeast Italy. In this battle, the army of Carthage, led by the brilliant general Hannibal, defeated a much larger Roman army. The Roman leaders were two consuls, Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. Hannibal's victory at Cannae is considered one of the greatest military moves in all of military history. It was also one of the worst defeats the Roman army ever faced.

Before this battle, the Romans had already lost two big fights against Hannibal at Trebia (in 218 BC) and Lake Trasimene (in 217 BC). After these losses, the Romans decided to face Hannibal head-on at Cannae. The Roman army was huge, with about 70,000 soldiers. They packed their heavy infantry (foot soldiers) very closely together in a deep formation. Hannibal, however, used a clever tactic called a double-envelopment. This move was so successful that the Roman army was almost completely wiped out by an army that was only half its size!

About 45,500 Roman and allied soldiers were killed in the battle. Another 2,700 Roman cavalry (soldiers on horseback) also died. Around 17,000 Roman soldiers were captured and became prisoners. Hannibal's army, on the other hand, lost only about 4,000 men. After this huge defeat, many of Rome's allies in Italy decided to switch sides. They stopped supporting Rome and instead joined forces with Carthage.

Images for kids

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  Hannibal's route of invasion

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  A modern monument near the site of the Battle of Cannae

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  Modern interpretation of a slinger from the Balearic Islands (famous for the skill of their slingers)

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  Philip V of Macedon pledged his support to Hannibal following the Carthaginian victory.

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  Shield of Henry II of France depicting Hannibal's victory at Cannae, an allusion to France's conflict with the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th century.

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  Medieval representation of the battle of Cannae

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Cannas para niños