Second Punic War in 217. Moving to southern Italy in 216, Hannibal at Cannae annihilated the largest army the Romans had ever assembled. After the death or imprisonment of 130,000 Roman troops in two years, 40% of Rome's Italian allies defected to Carthage, giving her control over most of southern Italy. Macedon and Syracuse joined the Carthaginian side after Cannae and the conflict spread to Greece and Sicily. From 215–210 the Carthaginian army and navy launched repeated amphibious assaults to capture Roman Sicily and Sardinia but were ultimately repulsed. Against Hannibal's skill on the battlefield, the Romans adopted the Fabian strategy – the
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