Legiones Cannenses

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The legiones Cannenses ("Legions of Cannae") or exercitus Cannensis ("Army of Cannae") were initially Roman legions formed from survivors of the Battle of Cannae during the Second Punic War . These legions were considered punitive units for soldiers who failed in battle.

The survivors of the Battle of Cannae

Several thousand Roman legionaries escaped from the battle of Cannae. Modern research puts their number based on the list by Titus Livius at around 14,500 soldiers, from which the legiones Cannenses were formed. The existence of the legiones Cannenses is occasionally denied.

In 215 BC In accordance with the linguistic usage of the time and the legion lists of Livy, the two-legion army of the legiones Cannenses was moved to Sicily to continue its service there until the end of the war. The basis for this was probably the breach of the oath by the survivors who lost their lives before the campaign of 216 BC. They had broken their oath not to flee or to flee away. In addition, the legions were reinforced with soldiers who, due to their health or physical condition, were unable to continue serving at the front. In return, the regular Roman combat troops were withdrawn from Sicily.

Reinforcement of the legiones Cannenses

Already in 214 BC 2000 men were sent to Sicily who had stayed unexcused from military service in the previous four years of the war in order to be integrated into the legions. In addition, the Roman survivors of the first battle of Herdonia in 212 BC may have been found. Transferred to Sicily as a punishment. In any case, 209 BC The 4344 survivors of the second battle of Herdonia 210 BC. Transferred to Sicily.

The African campaign of Scipio

After the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio in 205 BC. After traveling to Sicily in the 4th century BC in order to set out for North Africa, the lot of the legiones Cannenses improved . According to Jakob Seibert , however, not all Cannensians were incorporated into Scipio's army, but the dependable formed the basis of the fifth and sixth legions with which Scipio translated to North Africa.

Judgment of the literature

According to Seibert, the Cannensians presented themselves as follows:

"... a colorful group of soldiers of various origins, ... a comfortable catchment basin for unreliable, weak, cowardly soldiers demoralized by flight and defeat, but also defeatists and slackers ..."

- Jakob Seibert : Seibert quote

literature

  • Nigel Bagnall: Rome and Carthage. The struggle for the Mediterranean. Siedler, Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-88680-489-5 .
  • Gerhard Beversdorff: The armed forces of the Carthaginians and Romans in the Second Punic War. Ebering, Berlin 1910 (at the same time: Berlin, Univ., Diss., 1910).
  • Jakob Seibert : Research on Hannibal. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1993, ISBN 3-534-12091-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Seibert: Research on Hannibal. P. 296.
  2. ↑ Beversdorff: The armed forces of the Carthaginians and Romans in the Second Punic War. P. 37 ff.
  3. ↑ Ulrich Kahrstedt : History of the Carthaginians from 218-146 (= History of the Carthaginians. Vol. 3). Weidmann, Berlin 1913, p. 461.
  4. ↑ Seibert: Research on Hannibal. Pp. 297-299.
  5. ^ Bagnall: Rome and Carthage. P. 297.
  6. ^ Bagnall: Rome and Carthage. P. 314.
  7. ↑ Seibert: Research on Hannibal. Pp. 300-303.
  8. ↑ Seibert: Research on Hannibal. P. 303.
  9. ↑ Seibert: Research on Hannibal. P. 304.