Cannae

Scene of a major battle (216 BC) near the ancient village of Cannae, in Apulia (Puglia), southeastern Italy, between the Romans and Hannibal of Carthage during the Second Punic War. The Romans were crushed by the troops of Hannibal, with the help of his allies--the Africans, Gauls, and Spaniards. The Romans were surrounded and cut to pieces. Only 14,000 Roman soldiers escaped, and 10,000 more were captured; the rest were killed. The Carthaginians only lost around 6,000 men.