3. The Roman Army: Formidable Yet Vulnerable
At Cannae, the Roman legions represented the pinnacle of ancient military organization—disciplined, heavily armored, and supremely confident. Their standard tactics emphasized sheer force and direct engagement, relying on massed infantry formations to overwhelm opponents. However, this very strength proved a fatal flaw. Hannibal recognized the Romans’ predictability and inflexibility, turning their rigid ranks into a liability. By exploiting their overconfidence and lack of tactical variation, he set the stage for one of history’s greatest battlefield upsets.
