9. Transforming a Mishmash of Warriors Into an Elite Army
Hannibal’s army was a mishmash of ethnic units of differing abilities. It excelled because of Hannibal’s ability to deploy each group so as to maximize its strengths, while minimizing its weaknesses. A significant part of his army consisted of Gaulish levies recruited from northern Italy. While brave, they were not as professional as Hannibal’s African infantry and Greek mercenaries. So at Cannae, he placed the Gauls in the center, in a formation that bulged outwards. To either side of the Gauls, Hannibal placed his more professional African heavy infantry. On the flanks, Hannibal positioned his cavalry. When combat commenced, Hannibal expected that the Gauls would be forced backwards under relentless Roman pressure. Eventually, their formation which had started off bulging outwards, would bend and bulge inwards, forming a bowl shape or sack. The confident Romans, scenting victory as their foe gave ground, would push into the sack.
