Battle of Cannae Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae () was a major battle of the Second Punic War that took place on 2 August 216 BC in Apulia, in southeast Italy. The army of Carthage, under Hannibal, surrounded and decisively defeated a larger army of the Roman Republic under the consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. It is regarded both as one of the greatest tactical feats in military history and as one of the worst defeats in Roman history. Having recovered from their losses at Trebia (218 BC) and Lake Trasimene (217 BC), the Romans decided to engage
Lucius Aemilius Paullus (consul 219 BC) with Gaius Terentius Varro. He shared the command of the army with Varro at the Battle of Cannae. Varro led out the troops against the advice of Paullus and the battle became a crushing defeat for the Romans. Paullus died in the battle, while Varro managed to escape. Paullus was the father of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus and his daughter, Aemilia Tertia, married Scipio Africanus. Lucius Aemilius Paullus (consul 219 BC) Lucius Aemilius Paullus (died August 2, 216 BC) was a Roman consul twice, in 219 and 216 BC. Paullus served his first consulship with Marcus Livius Salinator. During this