Cannae

In the 2nd Punic War, Roman defeat by the Carthaginian general Hannibal 2 August 216 BC at the ancient city of Cannae, in Apulia, now a village in Puglia, Italy. The classic demonstration of encirclement tactics, Cannae was one of the most terrible defeats ever suffered by a Roman army.

Despite being heavily outnumbered (40,000 troops to the Romans' 80,000) Hannibal held his ground and allowed the Roman consul Gaius Terentius Varro to advance against his position. He deliberately allowed the Romans to push back his centre then used his superior cavalry to outflank the Romans. With the Roman infantry now encircled, his infantry counter-attacked while his cavalry assailed the Roman flanks and rear, which were thrown into confusion and the Carthaginians destroyed the Roman army. The Romans were said to have lost about 50,000 troops and the Carthaginians fewer than 6,000. Varro himself fled, but despite this and his failure in the battle, he was subsequently praised by the Senate for raising a fresh army.

A large military cemetery has been found nearby, but this is thought to date from medieval times.