Battle of Cannae - Strategic Background

Strategic Background

Shortly after the start of the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal boldly crossed into Italy by traversing first the Pyrennes and then the Alps during the summer and early autumn. He quickly won two major victories over the Romans at the Battle of Trebia and at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. After suffering these losses, the Romans appointed Fabius Maximus as dictator to deal with the threat. Fabius used attrition warfare against Hannibal, cutting off his supply lines and refusing to engage in pitched battle. These tactics proved unpopular with the Romans. As the Roman people recovered from the shock of Hannibal's initial victories, they began to question the wisdom of the Fabian strategy which had given the Carthaginian army a chance to regroup. Fabius' strategy was especially frustrating to the majority of Romans who were eager to see a quick conclusion to the war. It was also widely feared that if Hannibal continued plundering Italy unopposed, Rome's allies might doubt Rome's ability to protect them, and defect to Carthage's cause.

Unimpressed with Fabius' strategy, the Roman Senate did not renew his dictatorial powers at the end of his term, and command was given to consuls Gnaeus Servilius Geminus and M. Atilius Regulus. In 216 BC, elections resumed with Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus elected as consuls, given command of a newly raised army of unprecedented size, and directed to engage Hannibal. Polybius writes:

The Senate determined to bring eight legions into the field, which had never been done at Rome before, each legion consisting of five thousand men besides allies. ...Most of their wars are decided by one consul and two legions, with their quota of allies; and they rarely employ all four at one time and on one service. But on this occasion, so great was the alarm and terror of what would happen, they resolved to bring not only four but eight legions into the field. — Polybius, The Histories of Polybius