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Young Roman's First Battle
- A 17-year-old Roman soldier experienced his first battle at Cannae, witnessing the utter destruction of Rome's greatest army.
- He was haunted by shame and fear for his future and his father's honor throughout the retreat that night.
Cannae's Massive Impact
- Hannibal's victories massively reduced Rome's pool of fighting men by killing or capturing 55,000 soldiers in three battles.
- The Battle of Cannae was unparalleled in scale and brutality and stands as a masterpiece of military strategy even today.
Limits of Historical Sources
- Our understanding of Cannae relies mainly on Polybius, a diligent but imperfect historian writing decades later.
- Even with multiple sources, the exact details remain elusive due to biases, lost perspectives, and nature of battle experience.