The Battle of Cannae 216 BC
James Porter SpeakerNet Sponsor
- Regions:
- Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Hobby
- Fee:
- Paid: £70 includes travel expenses.
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 29th July 2025
- Tagged:
- Ancient Rome | Hannibal | Military History | Cannae
Cannae is famous to this day as probably the world's foremost example of the surrounding and annihilation of an army. In the talk I give the background to the struggle for supremacy in the Mediterranean between Rome and Carthage, before following Hannibal's invasion of Italy in 218 BC and his subsequent campaigns prior to Cannae. I describe the two opposing armies:their numbers, organisation, equipment and training, comparing and contrasting the two. Next, I look at the strategy of the two sides in the moves immediately before the battle. I go into great detail with the course of the battle itself, and its catastrophic outcome in which perhaps some 50,000 Romans died compared to 'only' 8,000 Carthaginians. As night fell on the battlefield Rome's very existence was in doubt.... The talk lasts around 45 minutes.
Views: 12 | Enquiries: 0About James Porter
I am a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. I retired in 2011 after 41 years' service. I attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, received a BA (Hons) at Lancaster University, attended the Army Staff College, Camberley. I have commanded an infantry platoon, company and battalion, and served several tours of duty in Northern Ireland. I also served in West Germany, Berlin and the Falkland Islands. I am originally from Guernsey in the Channel Islands. I live in North Dorset. I offer more than 30 different Military History talks, which may be given face-to-face or via Zoom.
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