2 August 216 BC – A Carthaginian army led by Hannibal defeats a numerically superior Roman army at the Battle of Cannae.
2 August 216 BC – A Carthaginian army led by Hannibal defeats a numerically superior Roman army at the Battle of Cannae.
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The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE) was fought near the ancient village of Cannae, in southern Apulia (modern Puglia), southeastern Italy, between the forces of Rome and Carthage during the Second Punic War.
The Romans were crushed by the African, Gallic, and Celtiberian troops of Hannibal, with recorded Roman losses ranging from 55,000 (according to Roman historian Livy) to 70,000 (according to Greek historian Polybius).
One of the most significant battles in history, it is regarded by military historians as a classic example of a victorious double envelopment.
Imagine how big and horrible this would be. Over the past 18 years, about 4,400 Americans have died in Iraq. But 50,000 to 70,000 men and boys were killed by hacking and stabbing over a few hours? Fucking insane.