Battle of Nola 216 BC - Hannibal (Part 15) - Second Punic War

 

Cut off in Italy, Hannibal would yet again show his uncanny ability to adapt to an unfavorable situation.

 During his year-long trek across the Apennines and back, he dispersed a vast number of scouts.

 Gradually, this network of spies uncovered how Rome interacted with the region.

 Hannibal learned that a variety of treaties tied the communities of southern Italy to Rome, which acted as hegemon of this alliance, rather than a ruler.

 Rome counted on its allies to supply half of the manpower and material that were vital for the war effort.

 But, most of these communities were non-Roman and didn’t speak Latin, and some were becoming disaffected by the highhanded Romans.

 This was the weak link, that Hannibal needed.

 Continuing his policy of clemency towards non-Romans, he released up to 11,000 Italian captives back to their homes.

 This calculated move prompted a surge of defections.

 He would now have access to resources needed to create his own base of operations in southern Italy.

 Next, he dispatched his brother Mago to Bruttium, where he was to consolidate Carthaginian control, recruit new troops, gather war supplies, and subdue cities still loyal to Rome.

 Lastly, he released 10 Roman prisoners, so they could arrange for the ransom for their 8,000 compatriots captured after the battle of Cannae.

 They were escorted by Carthalo, another prominent cavalry commander.

 By including one of his own officers in the delegation, Hannibal intended to seek terms, declaring that his objective was not to destroy Rome, but to restore Carthaginian dominance over the Western Mediterranean.

 After all, by contemporary standards, he was the victor.

 With Rome’s hegemony over Italy and its very future in doubt: “Surely”, he thought: “They would see sense.” He was wrong.

 The Roman Senate refused Carthalo entry into the city.

 What is more, they even refused to speak to the delegation of Roman soldiers.

 There would be no ransom.

 To so publicly doom the lives of 8,000 of your own troops in captivity, was a show of determination that defied convention.

 Even the clever Hannibal must’ve been surprised by Rome’s refusal to negotiate.

 Still, the Carthaginian general was in a position of strength and his army remained unchallenged in Italy.

 It was reasonable to think that sustained pressure would eventually force the Romans to concede defeat.

 And now he was marching towards Campania to accept the defection of Capua, a city second only to Rome in size and importance on the Italian peninsula.

 The powerful city wanted to secure its own regional supremacy for some time.

 Now they used Hannibal’s growing presence in Italy as leverage to demand from Rome that one of the two consuls should always be selected from Capua.

 When their Roman allies refused, the Capuans had the pretext they needed to open the gates.

 Hannibal left a garrison to setup winter quarters in the city and resumed operations in Campania.

 Observing from Casilinum, Marcellus did not seek battle in the open, and instead chose to shadow the Carthaginians.

 Although the Roman general did not realize it yet, Hannibal wanted to draw him and his army away from Casilinum, which controlled Capua’s norther flank.

 The Carthaginian general stopped at Neapolis, recognizing the importance of its port, which could offer a safe haven for ships carrying reinforcements and supplies from Africa.

 However, the city’s garrison was commanded by a Roman mayor, and unlikely to defect.

 Since besieging a fortified coastal city without naval support was futile, the Carthaginian general did not waste any time.

 He turned his attention to Nuceria Alfaterna, one of the largest and oldest cities in ancient Campania, built in the 6th century BC, with Oscan, Etruscan, Samnite, and Roman heritage.

 The city was a hegemon of the Nucerian League, a Samnite alliance that included the cities of Pompeii, Stabia, and Herculaneum.

 Persuading the League to defect would further strengthen Hannibal’s position in Italy.

 Once in front of the city, the gates remained closed.

 Met with impregnable double-curtain walls, Hannibal’s only option was to surround the city.

 He threatened to subdue Nuceria by starvation.

 But, in light of his success at Capua he had hoped that his propaganda image of wanting to liberate and respect the independence of the Italian peoples would convince Nuceria's Senate to switch sides.

 But Nuceria remained a loyal ally of Rome.

 To combat the food shortage, the city officials expelled those who were unable to carry a weapon and fight.

 Nucerians gambled that Hannibal would not risk tarnishing his image by refusing to shelter the refugees.

 The Carthaginian general understood their plan.

 Not for the first time, he would demonstrate his ruthlessness and cunning.

 Instead of accepting those expelled from the city, he mixed them with refugees from several surrounding settlements and forced them back inside the walls.

 In an instant, Nuceria’s population doubled, the food stock quickly ran out, and the suffering began.

 Without hope of any help from the Romans, the Nucerian Senate opened negotiations.

 Hannibal gave safe passage to all inhabitants, who took shelter in nearby towns, then allowed his troops to plunder.

 Before leaving, the Carthaginians methodically levelled the city to the ground.

 After the destruction of Nuceria, Hannibal turned his army towards Nola, a key Campanian city, due to rumors that the inhabitants were on the verge of revolting against Rome.

 Marcellus reached the city just in time, and braced for the arrival of the Carthaginian general.

 Both commanders deployed in battle formation.

 Marcellus arrayed his men with the walls and gates behind them.

 Hannibal launched a probing attack, hoping that the inhabitants will rise once their heard that battle has commenced.

 Indeed, during the skirmish a few panicked senators came outside to warn that the situation in the city was unstable.

 Marcellus was careful not to commit his men, and as soon as the skirmish ended, he withdrew behind the walls.

 Senators of Nola, firmly in favor of keeping the alliance with Rome, now explained that the people were in favor of Hannibal, in part out of fear that he would devastate their fields around the city, and cause a famine.

 Furthermore, it was uncovered that there had been nocturnal talks between the inhabitants and the Carthaginians.

 It was agreed that once the Romans again deployed outside the walls, Hannibal would launch an attack, while the people inside would seize Marcellus’ supplies and weapons, close the gates, and take up position on the walls, thereby trapping the Romans.

 Marcellus thanked the senators for informing him…

 Before the city could revolt, the Roman general divided his army into three.

 Each contingent was ordered to deploy in complete silence behind the three gates facing the enemy.

 The baggage train was told to stay close to the army.

 His best infantry and the Roman cavalry were to deploy behind the central gate.

 To guard the side and rear doors, he re-deployed the recruits and velites from the walls and towers, and added the allied cavalry.

 In addition, Marcellus forbade the inhabitants from approaching the walls and gates, and the Roman headquarters in the center of the city was strengthened.

 After a long wait, it seemed strange to Hannibal that the Romans did not deploy in front of the central gate and that there were no troops manning the walls.

 Suspecting that his secret talks with the people of Nola were uncovered, he advanced forward.

 The plan was to attack the central gate, as Hannibal was convinced that the Nolans would rise once battle commenced.

 As the Carthaginians moved in a loose formation, the Roman trumpets sounded off.

 A loud clamor arose as Marcellus’ men came rushing out of the three gates.

 The Romans forewent forming in battle formation and instead pressed forward.

 What the maneuver lacked in sophistication, it made up for with surprise.

 At first, the Carthaginian center was in trouble, unable to react to the rapid attack.

 But Hannibal was soon able to stabilize the line.

 Meanwhile, the advance of the Roman wings fell upon the Carthaginian left and right.

 Then came a large cloud of dust, raised by Marcellus’ advancing baggage train, leading the Carthaginians to believe that the Roman army was much larger than it actually was.

 Recognizing that Marcellus had the initiative, Hannibal ordered the men to disengage.

 He knew that the ruse with the baggage train could cause panic among his ranks and did not want to let his opponent capitalize on it.

 The Romans dared not pursue, and the Carthaginians withdrew in good order.

 Hannibal was most certainly surprised by Marcellus’ capabilities as a general.

 He didn’t just shadow the Carthaginian army, but could judge when was the perfect moment to challenge them in battle.

 In a sense, Marcellus employed an aggressive version of the Fabian strategy.

 Although the attack on Nola was repulsed, Hannibal successfully drew Marcellus away from the Volturnus river.

 He now double-backed, taking Acerra after a short siege and proceeded to Casilinum, where Marcellus left a garrison.

 The town controlled a triple-archway bridge across the river Volturnus, on the main road that connected Capua to Rome.

 As one of the very few crossings across the formidable river, it was of crucial strategic value.

 After about a month, the Roman garrison was starved into submission.

 They paid an enormous sum for safe passage.

 By capturing Casilinum, Hannibal secured Capua’s northern flank and now held a vital point from where he could launch attacks towards Rome.

 A garrison was left to guard the town, while the rest of the army returned to winter quarters in Capua.

 Hannibal formally handed control over Casilinum to the Capuans and began making plans for the coming months.

 Back at Nola, Marcellus closed the gates and posted sentries to prevent anyone from leaving the city.

 Those that conspired with Hannibal were put on trial and beheaded.

 The Roman general then marched out and encamped on the heights overlooking Suessula, keeping a close eye on the Carthaginians.

 While the stalemate at Nola was unimportant in the strategic sense, Marcellus’ encounter with Hannibal was the first time the Romans avoided defeat in a battle against the Carthaginian.

 And the two generals would meet again…