ORDER OF BATTLE // -211 BCE
Battle of Herdonia
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 21,000 estimated
Carthage
3,000
Medium-confidence figure
Rome
18,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The first Battle of Herdonia, fought in 212 BC, resulted in the destruction of the Roman army under Praetor Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus by Hannibal's Carthaginian forces. With Roman casualties of 16,000 from an army of 18,000, the engagement effectively annihilated the force committed to the field. The immediate operational consequence was the clearing of Apulia of Roman military presence for the remainder of the year, leaving the region open to Carthaginian influence and movement during a critical phase of the Second Punic War. The scale of the Roman loss, suffered against a Carthaginian force recorded at roughly one-sixth the size, underscored the continued battlefield dominance Hannibal exercised in southern Italy years after Cannae. The defeat also carried a political dimension: the commander, Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus, was the brother of the sitting consul Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, making the loss a source of both military and reputational damage for Rome.
‹ Full battle dossier