Battle of Capua

Overview

The Siege of Capua was fought in 211 BC, when the Romans besieged Capua. It is described by Polybius at 9.4–7, by Livy at 26.4–6, and by Appian at 37–44 of his Hannibalic War.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Capua in 211 BC was part of the Roman siege of the city during the Second Punic War, following Capua's defection to Carthage after the Roman disaster at Cannae. The engagement is described by Polybius, Livy, and Appian, indicating its prominence in ancient accounts of the war. The commanders present — Hannibal and Hanno, son of Bomilcar, on the Carthaginian side, and Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, Appius Claudius Pulcher, and Gaius Claudius Nero on the Roman side — reflect the strategic weight both powers attached to the city's fate. The recapture of Capua, one of the most important cities in Italy, was a significant reversal for Hannibal's Italian strategy, which had relied on cultivating defections from Rome's Latin and Italian allies.

Commanders (5)