This is the fourth scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules.
The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.
The History
Now, fully aware of the threat posed by Hannibal, the Romans assembled a truly large army, perhaps up to 80,000 strong, led by two consuls (Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro) who commanded on alternate days.
The traditional account puts Varro in command on the day of the battle, and much of the blame for the defeat has been laid on his shoulders. His low origins seem to be exaggerated in the sources, and Varro may have been made a scapegoat by the aristocratic establishment. He lacked the powerful descendants that Paullus had, descendants who were willing and able to protect his reputation—most notably his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, the patron of Polybius, one of the main sources of this history.
Varro was determined to attack Hannibal, who had posted his army in a location that negated the Roman advantage in numbers – bluffs on one flank and the Aufidus river (now called the Ofanto) on the other. Undeterred, Varro simply packed his legions one behind the other into the constricted area and launched the mass headlong at the Carthaginian centre. They advanced into yet another trap. Hannibal had deployed his excellent cavalry and heavy infantry on the wings, leaving his medium infantry and Celt levies in the centre. The Roman advance did indeed push the Carthaginian centre back and inflict losses, but in the meantime the Carthaginian cavalry had routed the Roman cavalry on both flanks and closed in on the rear of the Roman army while the heavy infantry advanced on both Roman flanks. Surrounded and unable to manoeuvre, the Roman soldiers were slaughtered by the thousands, and the army was destroyed. Cannae was Rome’s greatest military defeat, and Hannibal’s greatest victory.
The Refight
The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.
The battle started with the Romans widening their left flank in order to make envelopment by the Carthaginian Numidian cavalry much harder.
On the Carthaginian left flank, Hannibal and Hastrubal led forward their troops. The Balearic slingers advanced in front and started inflicting losses on the Roman light infantry.
Consul Gaius Terentius Varro then ordered his entire line of infantry to advance towards the enemy.
The Carthaginians advanced the infantry on their right flack, The heavy infantry moved into the front line and the Balearic slingers moved in front to start skirmishing with their Roman opponents.
The javelins of the Roman skirmishers caused the Balearic slingers to take losses and fall back.
On their right flank, the Carthaginians ordered forward Marhalbal with his Numidian light cavalry and the Balearic slingers to skirmish with the enemy. But they had no noticeable effect on the Roman line.
The Roman auxilia threw their javelins at Marhalbal's Numidian light cavalry causing some casualties.
The Carthaginians attacked with their centre, with the Gallic warriors in the lead. They crashed into the Roman light infantry who stood firm, having the legionaries and the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus directly to their rear. Both sides took losses, but the Gallic warriors failed to gain ground.
The Roman light infantry moved out of the way as the Roman legionaries with consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus at their head charged into the Gallic warriors and annihilated them.
Determined to avenge their comrades, the Libyan heavy infantry double-timed to attack the Roman legionaries.
The fighting in the centre paused, with both sides having taken heavy losses. However the Carthaginian advance had been halted and consul Paullus had retired to bring up hid heavy infantry to block the gap.
The Romans pushed forward their auxilia into the attack.
The first Roman auxilia caused Marhalbal's Numidian light cavalry to evade after taking losses.
The second Roman auxilia finished off the already decimated Libyan heavy infantry,
However the other Libyan heavy infantry was too hard a nut to crack even though it too had been decimated, and they managed to strike first causing the third Roman auxilia to retire after taking 50% losses.
Now much emboldened, these Libyan heavy infantry - with Marhalbal and a handful of Numidian light cavalry in support - charged into the neared Roman legionaries. However the Romans stood firm, and wiped out the attacking Libyans without taking any losses themselves.
The Romans ordered forward their light troops, to deal with the Numidian cavalry which evaded after taking some losses.
The Carthaginian light troops opened up on the Roman auxilia, causing some losses and the most advanced unit to retire to the safety of its own line.
Seemingly unsure where to concentrate, the Romans attacked with their cavalry on the left flank, moved forward their heavy infantry with Paullus in the centre, and on the right a unit of legionaries advanced.
The advancing legionaries were immediately charged by a combination of Carthaginian Cavalry with Hasdrubal at their head and Gallic warriors.
Both the warriors and the legionaries took losses before the legionaries retired.
On the Roman left, they pushed forward and their cavalry yet again caused the Numidians to evade after taking losses.
In the centre, the Carthaginian Cavalry and the Gallic warriors attacked again, the cavalry charged the legionaries while the warriors charged the supporting auxilia.
But yet again this attack failed, the Romans stood firm despite being outnumbered.
Now seeing their chance to attack the weakened Carthaginians, Marcus Atilius Regulus brought up a fresh unit of heavy infantry, and together with the legionaries and auxilia they wiped out both the Gallic warriors and the Carthaginian Cavalry killing their commander Hasdrubal.
These losses were the final straw for the Carthaginian army, they turned and fled the field.
The Romans had reversed history and defeated the Carthaginians, they achieved the major victory that Hannibal had hoped for. However consul Varro remained stationary on the unengaged right wing throughout the battle, proving perhaps that Polybius' view of him wasn't that far off.
Scenario Result
Roman Victory: Carthaginians 2 - Romans 7
Campaign Result
| Victories | Banners | |
|---|---|---|
| Romans | 2 | 24 |
| Carthaginians | 2 | 19 |
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