Second Punic War Battles > Battle of Numistro
Battle of Numistro

Background
The Battle of Numistro was fought in 210 BC between Hannibal's army and one of the Roman consular armies led by consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus. It was the fourth time they met in a battle. Previous encounters were located around the walls of Nola (Campania) in 216, 215 and 214 a.C. and had been favourable for the Roman side.In the early months of the 210 B.C., the city of Salapia (Apulia) was betrayed to the Romans, and the Carthagenians lost an important garrison of cavalry.[1] After this, Hannibal retreated to Brutium and Marcellus conquered the towns of Maronea and Meles in Samnium. Shortly thereafter, the Carthaginian general returned to Apulia and defeated proconsul Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus in the Second Battle of Herdonia.[2] Then Marcellus informed the Senate he would intercept and give battle against the Punic general to restore Roman honor.His was the only full strength Roman army in the south of Italy at the moment (there was another minor army in Capua with one legion of 5,000 men and an allied alae of 7,500 soldiers), so the consequences of a defeat could have been disastrous for the Roman side and its attempt to counter the invasion in that part of the country. Marcellus moved from Samnium and intercepted the Punic army in Numistro, a town northeast of Lucania. The Roman army encamped in the plain while the Punic camp was on a hill.[3] Numistro was close to Muro Lucano, on a route that the Punic army used between Northern Apulia and Brutium.Battle
According to Livy, the fight started early in the morning. Marcellus put his "I Legion" and "Right Alae Sociorum" in the front line.[4] During the combat both units were relieved by the "III Legion" and "Left Alae". Punic forces described by Livy included balearic slingers and Spanish infantry, as well as elephants.The battle lasted one day but after a hard fight the result was inconclusive, since it ended due to nightfall,[5] with Hannibal retreating to Apulia the next day. Marcellus left his injured soldiers at the town to recover and followed Hannibal to hunt him in that territory, having minor engagements until the end of that year's campaign. Frontinus tells that the battle was won by Hannibal thanks to the surrounding terrain.[6]Both generals met again in battle the following year in Canusium. Numistro and Canusium were probably separated in time by no more than six months, as the former happened during the last period of the 210 B.C. consulship while the latter was in the early months of 209 B.C.Coordinates: 38.975597°N 16.319791°E
Second Punic War
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- Battle of Ager Falernus
- Battle of Baecula
- Battle of Beneventum (212 BC)
- Battle of Beneventum (214 BC)
- Battle of Canusium
- Battle of Capua (211 BC)
- Battle of Geronium
- Battle of Carmona
- Battle of Cartagena (209 BC)
- Battle of Cirta
- Battle of Cissa
- Battle of Cornus
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- Battle of the Great Plains
- Battle of Grumentum
- Battle of Herdonia (210 BC)
- Battle of Herdonia (212 BC)
- Battle of Ilipa
- Battle of the Metaurus
- Battle of Nola (214 BC)
- Battle of Nola (215 BC)
- Battle of Nola (216 BC)
- Battle of Numistro
- Battle of Rhone Crossing
- Battle of the Silarus
- Battle of Tarentum (209 BC)
- Battle of Tarentum (212 BC)
- Battle of the Guadalquivir (206 BC)
- Battle of Ticinus
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- Battle of Utica (203 BC)
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- Hannibal's Crossing of the Alps
- Mutiny at Sucro
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- Siege of Syracuse (214-212 BC)
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Treaties
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Livy "Ab Urbe Condita" XXVII,2
Frontinus "Stratagems" II,II,6
Plutarch “Life of Marcellus”, 24
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, XXVI,38,23
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, XXVII,1,5
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, XXVII,2,5
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, XXVII,2,8
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, XXVII,2,12
Frontinus, Stratagems, II,2,6