ABSTRACT
After Cannae, some of the Romans’ south Italian allies at last thought the time had come to change sides. Several Apulian towns declared for Carthage-for instance Salapia, Arpi and Herdonea-then many of the Lucanians. Some weeks later the Bruttians far to the south defected when Hannibal’s brother Mago came among them with a division of the Punic army. Hannibal himself marched into Samnium where two of the three cantons followed suit, the Hirpini and Caudini; only the Pentri stood firm for the enemy. And on the Punic army’s advance into Campania in the autumn he won the greatest prize of all: Capua, the second city of Italy.
