HI123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Roman Senate, Gaius Flaminius
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Hannibal's army was led by officers who were all Carthaginian citizens
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These officers gave the army an experienced and efficient
command structure superior to Romans
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Rome secretly prepares for another battle
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219 BC Hannibal attacks one of Rome's allies in Spain (Saguntum)- Rome
demands that he desist and Hannibal ignores it and sacked the town
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Rome demands Carthage gives over Hannibal- they refuse
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219 BC they go to war
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Hannibal takes the war to the Romans
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Carthaginians were frantically trying to rebuild their fleet to match the
Romans- they can't
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Spring 218, Hannibal marched on Italy with an army of 90,000 infantry,
12,000 Cavalry and 37 war elephants
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November 218, he arrives in Italy, his army had been reduced to 20,000
infantry, 6,000 cavalry and a few elephants
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Had a hard time going through the alps
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Hannibal arrives in an area of Italy in which the Gaulish tribes are
rebelling against the Romans
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They supply ferocious infantry and heavy cavalry to Hannibal
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Romans are shocked and challenge Hannibal at the River Trebia
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Hides part of his infantry in a nearby river
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Launch a surprise attack and Romans must retaliate before they're ready-
get surrounded by Carthaginians
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10,000 Roman veteran legionaries escape
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Battle of Trebia December 218 Bc- Makes Romans determined
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Spring 217 BC Romans dispatch 2 consular armies to defeat Hannibal
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1 led by Gnaeus Servilius and the other Gaius Flaminius
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They plan to surround him
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Hannibal moves faster then the Romans expect by going through the
passes of the marshes
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Flaminius chases Hannibal's army to central Italy (Lake Trasimene)
• Hannibal marches along the shore
○He doubles back at night and they take up positions in the hills
overlooking the lake
• Flaminius goes on towards where he thinks Hannibal is
○Hannibal's troops come down from the hills and they crush the
Romans - 6,000 infantry surrender
• Romans elected Fabius Maximus as a dictator for 6 months
○Harasses Hannibal's army, but doesn't engage in battle
○Gets him the nickname Cunctator 'delayer'
• Romans are able to build a new army
Cannae
• 216 BC: Roman senate prepares for a showdown with Hannibal
• Consuls Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Caius Terentius Varo to join forces
from the beginning of the campaign
• Each consul was given 4 reinforced legions of 5,000 men. Italian allies
contributed equal infantry and even more cavalry
• Combined forces was the greatest field army the Republic had ever put
into the field: 8 legions and allies totalling 80,000 infantry, and 6,000
cavalry
• Summer 216 Hannibal lingered around a town near Cannae to refuel
• August 2, 216- both forces deploy for battle
• Romans studied Hannibal's tactics and learned
1. Hannibal used ambushed/surprise attacks
§Fighting in an open field would avoid this
2. Legionaries had escaped
§Could use their heavy infantry to smash through Hannibal's
army
• Hannibal's army had 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry
• All Hannibal's troops were veterans with high moral and exceptional
cohesion
○His officers were highly skilled, dependable, and completely trusted
their commander
• Put most of his cavalry on one side
• Wanted to lure the Roman's into the center, then surround them-
brilliant but risky plan
• Roman's light infantry outnumbered Hannibal's, but Hannibal's were
stronger
• Cavalry face off- Hannibal's are stronger
• 80,000 Roman's charge the middle of the line
○They seem to be succeeding, Hannibal's army begins to break
• 2 blocks of Libyan heavy infantry turn 90 degrees and charge the Romans
• Hannibal sets his trap in motion- Romans are trapped on 3 sides
After Cannae
• Roman loses at Cannae amounted to 50,000 killed, 26,000 captured
• Only 10,000 Romans and Italians survived including Consul Varo
• Carthaginian loses were 5,700-8000
• Defeat causes panic among the inhabitants of Rome, who feared that
Hannibal would march on Rome
• Hannibal didn't march on Rome because
1. Believed his victory was so decisive that Romans would come to
peace terms
2. Counted on Rome's alliance system to break up- most stayed true
to Rome
• Hannibal fought for another 13 years
• Roman armies got stronger until they could defeat him
Hannibal and Rome
Monday, July 2, 2018
11:50 AM
Document Summary
11:50 am: hannibal"s army was led by officers who were all carthaginian citizens. Romans- they can"t: spring 218, hannibal marched on italy with an army of 90,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry and 37 war elephants: november 218, he arrives in italy, his army had been reduced to 20,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and a few elephants. Had a hard time going through the alps: hannibal arrives in an area of italy in which the gaulish tribes are rebelling against the romans. 10,000 roman veteran legionaries escape: battle of trebia december 218 bc- makes romans determined, spring 217 bc romans dispatch 2 consular armies to defeat hannibal. 1 led by gnaeus servilius and the other gaius flaminius. He doubles back at night and they take up positions in the hills overlooking the lake: flaminius goes on towards where he thinks hannibal is. Hannibal"s troops come down from the hills and they crush the.
