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The Battle of Cannae occurred in close proximity to the city of Rome.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Battle of Cannae took place near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeastern Italy, not near Rome.
Hannibal's capture of the supply depot at Cannae was strategically insignificant.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hannibal's seizure of the supply depot at Cannae was strategically significant, as it placed him between the Romans and their vital supplies, prompting Roman alarm.
Hannibal's strategy before Cannae focused on avoiding Roman supply lines.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hannibal's strategy involved disrupting Roman supply lines and forcing decisive engagements, as demonstrated by his capture of the supply depot at Cannae.
The Fabian strategy of attrition was popular among Romans prior to the Battle of Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Fabian strategy of attrition was unpopular with many Romans who desired a swift end to the war and feared the defection of allies due to Hannibal's continued presence in Italy.
What was the Battle of Cannae, and when did it occur?
Answer: A decisive Carthaginian victory in the Second Punic War on August 2, 216 BC.
Explanation: The Battle of Cannae was a major engagement of the Second Punic War, fought on August 2, 216 BC, resulting in a decisive Carthaginian victory.
Where did the Battle of Cannae take place?
Answer: Near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy.
Explanation: The battle occurred near the ancient village of Cannae, located in Apulia, a region in southeast Italy.
What was the strategic situation leading up to the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Following earlier Roman defeats, Hannibal had invaded Italy, and Rome raised a large army to confront him directly, moving away from attrition.
Explanation: Following earlier Roman defeats, Hannibal had invaded Italy. Rome, eager to end the war quickly and fearing the defection of allies, raised an unprecedentedly large army to confront Hannibal directly, moving away from the Fabian strategy of attrition.
How did Hannibal's seizure of the supply depot at Cannae impact the battle's prelude?
Answer: It placed Hannibal between the Romans and their vital supplies, causing Roman alarm and prompting a decisive engagement.
Explanation: Hannibal seized the supply depot at Cannae, placing himself between the Romans and their vital supply lines. This action caused significant alarm among the Romans, prompting them to seek out Hannibal's army for a decisive engagement.
What strategic advantage did Hannibal gain by capturing the town of Cannae itself?
Answer: It allowed him to control the surrounding district and disrupt Roman logistics by seizing the supply depot.
Explanation: By capturing Cannae, Hannibal positioned himself between the Roman army and its vital supply depot, controlling the surrounding district and disrupting Roman logistics.
What was the general sentiment among Romans regarding the Fabian strategy before Cannae?
Answer: It was unpopular, as many Romans desired a swift end to the war.
Explanation: Before Cannae, the Fabian strategy of attrition and avoiding pitched battles was unpopular with many Romans. They were eager for a swift conclusion to the war and feared the defection of allies.
Hannibal, a celebrated military tactician, commanded the Carthaginian forces at the Battle of Cannae.
Answer: True
Explanation: Hannibal, renowned for his strategic genius, led the Carthaginian army in the Battle of Cannae.
Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro were the consuls leading the Roman army at Cannae.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Roman army at Cannae was commanded by the consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro.
The Roman army at Cannae was significantly smaller than Hannibal's forces.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Roman and allied army was considerably larger than Hannibal's forces, estimated at around 86,400 troops compared to Hannibal's approximately 50,000.
The Roman infantry at Cannae was primarily equipped with the pilum and the hasta, alongside shields.
Answer: True
Explanation: While Roman infantry used shields and close-combat weapons, their primary equipment included pila (heavy javelins) for ranged engagement and hastae (thrusting spears) for close combat.
Hannibal's army at Cannae consisted of a homogenous group of soldiers from Carthage.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hannibal's army was a diverse multinational force, comprising soldiers from Carthage, Iberia, Gaul, Numidia, and other regions.
The Balearic slingers were primarily employed by the Roman army as skirmishers at Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Balearic slingers were part of Hannibal's army, not the Roman forces. They served as effective skirmishers for the Carthaginians.
The diverse origins of Hannibal's troops meant they all used standardized Carthaginian equipment.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hannibal's army featured a wide variety of equipment reflecting its multinational composition, with different units using weapons and armor specific to their regions.
The primary weapon of the Roman infantry for close combat at Cannae was the pilum.
Answer: False
Explanation: The pilum was primarily a heavy javelin used for ranged engagement. The primary close-combat weapon for Roman infantry was typically the gladius, supplemented by the hasta (thrusting spear).
Who were the primary commanders of the Roman forces at the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro
Explanation: The Roman army at Cannae was commanded by the consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro.
Who led the Carthaginian forces during the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Hannibal
Explanation: The Carthaginian and allied forces were led by Hannibal, who was renowned as one of antiquity's greatest tacticians.
What was the approximate strength of the Roman and allied army at Cannae?
Answer: Estimated to be around 86,400 troops, including eight legions.
Explanation: The Roman and allied army was estimated to be around 86,400 troops, comprising infantry and cavalry. This was an unusually large force for Rome at the time, with eight legions deployed.
What was the primary weapon used by Roman infantry for throwing before closing with the enemy at Cannae?
Answer: Pilum
Explanation: The primary weapon used by Roman infantry for throwing before closing with the enemy was the pilum, a heavy javelin designed to disable enemy shields and armor.
What was the role of the Balearic slingers in Hannibal's army?
Answer: They acted as skirmishers, hurling ranged missiles into enemy formations.
Explanation: The Balearic slingers were renowned for their accuracy and served as skirmishers. Hannibal placed them behind his infantry to hurl ranged missiles into the mass of Roman troops.
Hannibal deployed his elite African infantry in the center of his formation at Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hannibal positioned his less reliable Iberian and Gallic troops in the center, with his elite African infantry placed on the flanks.
The Carthaginian cavalry played a crucial role in encircling the Roman infantry.
Answer: True
Explanation: After defeating the Roman cavalry, the Carthaginian cavalry attacked the Roman infantry from the rear, completing the encirclement.
Hannibal's double envelopment tactic at Cannae aimed to trap the Roman army completely.
Answer: True
Explanation: The double envelopment, or pincer movement, was Hannibal's strategy to surround and annihilate the Roman army.
Hannibal's tactics at Cannae are considered a classic example of a pincer movement.
Answer: True
Explanation: Hannibal's masterful use of the double envelopment, or pincer movement, at Cannae is studied as a prime example of battlefield tactics.
The veteran African infantry of Hannibal's army was positioned in the center to absorb the initial Roman assault.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hannibal positioned his African infantry on the flanks, tasked with wheeling inwards to complete the encirclement, while the center was held by less reliable troops.
The Carthaginian cavalry on the left flank at Cannae quickly routed the Roman cavalry without significant engagement.
Answer: False
Explanation: The engagement on the left flank involved fierce fighting, and while the Carthaginian cavalry eventually prevailed, it was not without significant combat.
The Numidian cavalry on the right flank successfully pinned the Roman allied cavalry, allowing reinforcements to arrive.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Numidian cavalry engaged the Roman allied cavalry, keeping them occupied until the victorious Carthaginian cavalry from the left flank arrived to complete their rout.
Which description best fits Hannibal's tactical deployment at Cannae?
Answer: A crescent formation of Iberian and Gallic troops in the center, with African infantry on the flanks and cavalry on the wings.
Explanation: Hannibal deployed his less reliable Iberian and Gallic troops in the center in a crescent formation, bulging outwards towards the Romans. His more disciplined African infantry was placed on the flanks in echelon formation, acting as reserves, and his cavalry was positioned on the wings.
What was the crucial role of the Carthaginian cavalry at Cannae?
Answer: To engage and defeat the Roman cavalry on the flanks, then attack the Roman infantry from the rear.
Explanation: The Carthaginian cavalry engaged and defeated the Roman cavalry on both flanks. After routing the Roman cavalry, the victorious Carthaginian horsemen swung around to attack the Roman infantry from the rear, completing the encirclement.
Hannibal's 'double envelopment' tactic at Cannae achieved its objective by:
Answer: Drawing the Roman infantry deeper into a pocket while cavalry and flanking infantry completed the encirclement.
Explanation: Hannibal's tactic involved his center gradually retreating under Roman pressure, drawing the Roman infantry deeper into a pocket. Simultaneously, his cavalry defeated the Roman cavalry and then attacked the Roman infantry's rear. Finally, his African infantry on the flanks wheeled inwards to crush the Roman flanks, resulting in a complete encirclement.
What is the historical significance of Hannibal's tactics at Cannae?
Answer: They are considered a masterpiece of battlefield tactics, particularly the double envelopment.
Explanation: Hannibal's use of the double envelopment or pincer movement at Cannae is considered a masterpiece of battlefield tactics. It is one of the earliest detailed accounts of such a maneuver in Western military history and has been studied by military leaders for centuries.
According to Hannibal's tactical plan, what was the specific role of the veteran African infantry?
Answer: To remain cohesive on the wings and advance to attack the Roman flanks, completing the encirclement.
Explanation: Hannibal's veteran African infantry was positioned on the wings of his army. They were tasked with remaining cohesive and advancing to attack the Roman flanks at the crucial moment, completing the pincer movement and encircling the enemy.
What was the outcome of the cavalry engagement on the right flank at Cannae?
Answer: The Numidian cavalry kept the Roman allied cavalry occupied until Carthaginian reinforcements arrived, leading to their rout.
Explanation: On the right flank, the Numidian cavalry engaged the Roman allied cavalry in a manner that primarily kept them occupied. This allowed Hasdrubal's victorious cavalry from the left flank to join the engagement, leading to the rout of the allied cavalry.
The Battle of Cannae, a pivotal engagement of the Second Punic War, resulted in a significant Carthaginian victory.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Battle of Cannae, fought on August 2, 216 BC, was a decisive Carthaginian victory during the Second Punic War.
The Roman infantry's deep formation was an advantage, allowing them to easily maneuver within Hannibal's encirclement.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Roman infantry's deep formation became a disadvantage when compressed by the encirclement, limiting their ability to fight effectively.
Roman casualties at Cannae were relatively light, with only minor losses reported.
Answer: False
Explanation: Roman casualties at Cannae were catastrophic, with estimates ranging from 48,200 to 70,000 killed, representing one of the most devastating defeats in Roman history.
The consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus successfully escaped the Battle of Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: The consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus was killed during the Battle of Cannae.
Gaius Terentius Varro, one of the Roman consuls, was killed during the battle.
Answer: False
Explanation: Gaius Terentius Varro, the other Roman consul, managed to escape the battle with a contingent of cavalry.
The daily alternating command structure between the two Roman consuls provided strategic consistency at Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: The law requiring consuls to alternate command daily limited strategic consistency and may have contributed to tactical shortcomings at Cannae.
The southeasterly wind and morning sun were advantageous to the Roman forces during the battle.
Answer: False
Explanation: The southeasterly wind and morning sun blew dust into the faces of the Roman troops, potentially hindering their vision and advance.
How did the Roman infantry's deep formation contribute to their downfall at Cannae?
Answer: It became a disadvantage when compressed by the envelopment, limiting their ability to fight effectively.
Explanation: The Roman infantry's deep formation, while intended for a breakthrough, became a disadvantage when they were compressed into a tight space by Hannibal's envelopment. This limited their ability to maneuver and wield their weapons effectively, making them vulnerable to attack from all sides.
What were the estimated Roman casualties at the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Catastrophic losses, with estimates ranging from 48,200 to 70,000 killed.
Explanation: Estimates vary, but Roman losses were catastrophic. Polybius reported 70,000 killed and 10,000 captured, while Livy reported around 48,200 killed and 19,300 captured. These figures represent one of the worst defeats in Roman history.
Which Roman leader was killed during the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Lucius Aemilius Paullus
Explanation: The consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus was killed in action during the Battle of Cannae.
How did the Roman consul Gaius Terentius Varro fare after the battle?
Answer: He successfully escaped the battle with a small contingent of cavalry.
Explanation: Gaius Terentius Varro, who was in command on the day of the battle, managed to escape with about 70 horsemen to Venusia.
Which factor related to Roman command structure potentially contributed to the disaster at Cannae?
Answer: The law requiring consuls to alternate command daily limited strategic consistency.
Explanation: The Roman law requiring consuls to alternate command daily limited strategic consistency. This, combined with potential disagreements between the cautious Paullus and the aggressive Varro, may have contributed to the tactical shortcomings on the day of the battle.
How might the terrain and weather conditions at Cannae have affected the Roman forces?
Answer: The morning sun and wind blew dust into Roman faces, potentially obscuring vision.
Explanation: The Romans faced east, meaning the morning sun and a southeasterly wind blew dust into their faces, potentially obscuring their vision and hindering their advance.
Following the Battle of Cannae, Rome immediately sued for peace with Hannibal.
Answer: False
Explanation: Despite the catastrophic defeat, Rome demonstrated remarkable resilience and refused to negotiate peace terms with Hannibal.
News of the defeat at Cannae caused celebration and relief in Rome.
Answer: False
Explanation: News of the devastating defeat at Cannae plunged Rome into panic and mourning, prompting extraordinary measures to raise new armies.
After Cannae, several key Roman allies, including Capua, defected to Hannibal.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Battle of Cannae severely weakened Rome's authority, leading to the defection of several important allies, most notably the city of Capua.
The Battle of Cannae led to immediate reforms in Roman military doctrine, emphasizing increased infantry depth.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Cannae highlighted issues with Roman formations, the reforms that followed emphasized increased flexibility and maneuverability, leading to the eventual adoption of the cohort system, rather than simply increasing infantry depth.
The 'Cannae model' in military history refers to a strategy of attrition and avoiding decisive battles.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'Cannae model' refers to Hannibal's strategy of encircling and annihilating an enemy army, a tactic of decisive engagement, not attrition.
Polybius and Livy are considered primary historical sources for the Battle of Cannae.
Answer: True
Explanation: Polybius and Livy are among the most important ancient historians whose accounts provide detailed information about the Battle of Cannae.
After Cannae, the Roman army adopted a more rigid, less flexible formation.
Answer: False
Explanation: The defeat at Cannae prompted reforms that led to a more flexible Roman military system, eventually evolving into the cohort structure.
The Battle of Cannae ultimately led to Rome's surrender in the Second Punic War.
Answer: False
Explanation: Despite the severe blow, Rome's resilience ensured the war continued, ultimately leading to Roman victory.
The Battle of Cannae revealed significant weaknesses in Roman resilience and determination.
Answer: False
Explanation: On the contrary, Rome's refusal to yield after Cannae demonstrated extraordinary resilience and determination, which was crucial to their eventual victory.
Alfred von Schlieffen developed the 'Cannae model' strategy based on Hannibal's tactics.
Answer: True
Explanation: The German General Alfred von Schlieffen studied Hannibal's tactics at Cannae and adapted the 'Cannae model' for modern warfare, emphasizing envelopment and the destruction of enemy flanks.
Maharbal criticized Hannibal for not immediately marching on Rome after the victory at Cannae.
Answer: True
Explanation: According to historical accounts, Maharbal, Hannibal's cavalry commander, famously stated that Hannibal knew how to win a victory but not how to use it, referring to his failure to march on Rome.
The Battle of Cannae directly led to the complete dissolution of the Roman Republic.
Answer: False
Explanation: Despite the severe blow, the Roman Republic endured and eventually triumphed in the Second Punic War.
Hannibal secured an alliance with Syracuse after the Battle of Cannae.
Answer: True
Explanation: Following Cannae, Hannibal secured an alliance with Hieronymus of Syracuse, which drew Syracuse into the war against Rome.
The Roman Senate readily accepted Hannibal's offer to ransom prisoners captured at Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Roman Senate refused Hannibal's offer to ransom prisoners, demonstrating their unwavering resolve not to negotiate with him.
Livy portrayed both Roman consuls at Cannae as equally responsible for the defeat.
Answer: False
Explanation: Livy tended to portray the aristocratic consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus more favorably and often assigned primary blame for the defeat to the plebeian consul Gaius Terentius Varro.
The 'Cannae model' is considered a rare tactical success in military history.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'Cannae model,' representing a perfect double envelopment leading to annihilation, is studied as an archetypal tactical success that has been rarely replicated.
Philip V of Macedon allied with Rome after the Battle of Cannae.
Answer: False
Explanation: Philip V of Macedon allied with Hannibal after Cannae, initiating the First Macedonian War against Rome.
What was the immediate reaction in Rome upon learning of the defeat at Cannae?
Answer: Panic, disarray, and a national day of mourning.
Explanation: Rome was gripped by panic and disarray. The city declared a national day of mourning and resorted to extraordinary measures to raise new legions.
Which major Italian city-state defected to Hannibal following the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Capua
Explanation: Following the defeat, several Italian city-states, including Capua and Tarentum, defected from the Roman Republic to Hannibal's cause.
How did the Battle of Cannae impact Rome's alliances?
Answer: It caused many of Rome's allies, particularly in southern Italy, to waver or defect.
Explanation: The battle significantly weakened Rome's position, causing many of its allies, particularly in southern Italy, to waver in their loyalty and some to defect to Hannibal.
What effect did the Battle of Cannae have on Roman military doctrine?
Answer: It led to reforms increasing infantry mobility and maneuverability, contributing to the shift towards the cohort system.
Explanation: Cannae highlighted the inflexibility of the Roman manipular system against Hannibal's envelopment tactics. This led to reforms that increased the mobility and maneuverability of Roman infantry, eventually contributing to the transition from the manipular system to the cohort system.
What does the 'Cannae model' refer to in military history?
Answer: Hannibal's strategy of encircling and annihilating an enemy army.
Explanation: The 'Cannae model' refers to Hannibal's strategy of encircling and annihilating an enemy army. It has become a benchmark for battles of annihilation and has influenced military thinkers and strategists.
Which of the following were primary historical sources for the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Polybius and Livy
Explanation: The main historical accounts of the battle come from Polybius and Livy, among others. Polybius's account is the closest chronologically.
How did the Roman army's formations evolve after the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: They shifted towards a more flexible system, eventually adopting the cohort.
Explanation: Following Cannae, the Roman army evolved from a rigid phalanx-like structure to a more flexible system. This involved articulating the phalanx, dividing it into smaller tactical bodies, and eventually leading to the development of the cohort as the primary infantry unit.
What was the long-term impact of the Battle of Cannae on the Second Punic War?
Answer: Despite the defeat, Rome showed resilience, continued the war, and eventually won.
Explanation: Although a devastating defeat, Cannae did not lead to Rome's surrender. Instead, Rome showed remarkable resilience, raising new armies and continuing the war for another 14 years, eventually winning at the Battle of Zama.
What does the Battle of Cannae reveal about Roman resilience?
Answer: It showed Rome's unwavering determination to continue fighting despite catastrophic losses.
Explanation: Despite losing a significant portion of its fighting force and facing widespread panic, Rome refused to negotiate peace terms with Hannibal. The Romans demonstrated extraordinary determination by raising new armies and continuing the war, ultimately leading to victory.
Alfred von Schlieffen adapted Hannibal's 'Cannae model' for modern warfare by emphasizing:
Answer: Crushing enemy flanks and attacking their rear through maneuver.
Explanation: Alfred von Schlieffen believed the 'Cannae model' involved crushing enemy flanks and attacking their rear to achieve annihilation. He saw this strategy as applicable to modern maneuver warfare, emphasizing the importance of envelopment.
What criticism did Maharbal reportedly level against Hannibal after the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: Hannibal knew how to gain a victory but not how to use it, specifically by not marching on Rome.
Explanation: After the battle, Maharbal reportedly told Hannibal, 'You know how to gain a victory, but you do not know how to use it,' criticizing Hannibal's decision not to march on Rome immediately.
Besides consulting the Sibylline Books, what other extraordinary measures did Rome take in response to the defeat at Cannae?
Answer: Lowering enlistment ages and recruiting criminals and slaves.
Explanation: Rome resorted to extreme measures, including lowering enlistment ages and recruiting criminals and slaves to form new legions, in response to the crisis following Cannae.
How did the Battle of Cannae influence the development of the Roman legion?
Answer: It exposed the limitations of the manipular system's rigidity, leading to reforms towards greater flexibility and the eventual adoption of the cohort system.
Explanation: The battle exposed the limitations of the Roman manipular system's rigidity. This led to reforms that increased flexibility and maneuverability, ultimately paving the way for the adoption of the cohort as the standard Roman infantry unit.
What alliance did Hannibal secure following the Battle of Cannae, which further complicated Rome's position?
Answer: An alliance with Hieronymus of Syracuse.
Explanation: After Cannae, Hannibal secured an alliance with Hieronymus of Syracuse, the last independent king in Sicily, further isolating Rome and expanding the conflict.
The Roman Senate's refusal to parley with Hannibal after Cannae signified:
Answer: Rome's unwavering determination to continue the war despite the disaster.
Explanation: The Senate's refusal to negotiate demonstrated Rome's unwavering determination to defeat Hannibal, despite suffering one of its worst military disasters. This resilience was crucial in Rome's eventual victory in the Second Punic War.
How did Livy portray the Roman command structure and responsibility at Cannae?
Answer: He tended to portray soldiers heroically and assigned blame primarily to the consul Varro, potentially making him a scapegoat.
Explanation: Livy tended to portray the Roman soldiers heroically and assigned blame for the defeat to the lower-class consul Varro, suggesting he may have been made a scapegoat by the aristocratic establishment.
In military history, the 'Cannae model' is primarily recognized as:
Answer: An archetypal battle of annihilation, rarely replicated successfully.
Explanation: The 'Cannae model' is considered an archetypal battle of annihilation, a tactical success that has rarely been replicated. It is studied in military academies worldwide as a prime example of battlefield encirclement and destruction.
What alliance did Philip V of Macedon form after the Battle of Cannae?
Answer: He pledged support to Hannibal, initiating the First Macedonian War against Rome.
Explanation: Following the Battle of Cannae, Philip V of Macedon pledged his support to Hannibal, which initiated the First Macedonian War against Rome.