Roman army of the mid-Republic placed unprecedented strains on Roman manpower, not least on the Order of Knights and the First Class of commoners which provided the cavalry. During Hannibal's apocalyptic march through Italy (218–216 BC), thousands of Roman cavalrymen were killed in the field. The losses were especially serious for the equestrian order, which also provided the army's senior officers. Livy relates how, after Cannae, gold rings (a badge of knightly rank), recovered from the corpses of Roman knights formed a pile one "modius" (about 9 litres) large. In the succeeding years 214–203 BC, the Romans kept at least 21 legions in the field
Cannae Cannen(sis) (Latin adjective). It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank, "with an archiepiscopal exception : Cannae Cannae (now Canne della Battaglia) is an ancient village of the Apulia region of south east Italy. It is a "frazione" (civil parish) of the "comune" (municipality) of Barletta, a former bishopric and presently a Latin Catholic titular see. It is situated near the river Aufidus (the modern Ofanto), on a hill on the right (i.e., south) bank, southwest from its mouth, and 9 km southwest from Barletta. It is primarily known for the Battle of Cannae, in which