Battle of Cannae - 2226 Years Ago Today

Hannibal

2226 years ago today Hannibal defeated the Roman army almost twice his size at the Battle of Cannae. Hannibal commanded his men in the center of the line to fall back as the Romans attacked, which meant that eventually his army formed a semi-circle around the Roman forces. The Romans were defeated, and almost annihilated. The Romans are estimated to have lost 48,000 men, almost twice the number of Americans who were killed during the War for Independance.

Because of the incredible victory, Cannae has become synonymous with a complete and total victory. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in WW2 said, "Every ground commander seeks the battle of annihilation; so far as conditions permit, he tries to duplicate in modern war the classic example of Cannae."

Learn more about the battle here.