Battle of Nola

Overview

The Second Battle of Nola was fought in 215 BC between Hannibal's army and a Roman force under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. It was Hannibal's second attempt to seize Nola after a failure the year before. He was again repelled and would make one more, also unsuccessful attempt the next year. For the Romans, it was a crucial success against Hannibal's army and gave them hope that they could win the war.

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

Significance

The Second Battle of Nola in 215 BC was Hannibal's second consecutive failure to take the town, having been repelled the previous year as well. Commanded by Marcus Claudius Marcellus, the Roman force successfully denied Hannibal control of Nola, a strategically contested position in Campania. The defeat marked a pattern of frustration for Carthaginian efforts in the region: Hannibal would attempt to seize Nola once more the following year and fail again. For Rome, the engagement carried significance beyond its immediate tactical outcome. Coming during a phase of the Second Punic War in which Roman arms had suffered severe reverses, the successful defense provided tangible evidence that Hannibal's forces could be checked in the field, and according to the ancient tradition, gave the Romans renewed confidence that the war remained winnable.

Commanders (3)