Kuramba vaine ruvengo pakati pavo uye kusagadzikana kwakamutsiridzwa pamuganhu wavo kwakatungamira kuHondo yechipiri yePunic (218-201 BC), iyo yaisanganisira mapoka kubva kumadokero nekumabvazuva kweMediterranean. Hondo yacho inoratidzirwa nerwendo rwaHannibal rwunoshamisa rwomunyika kuenda kuRoma, zvikurukuru kuyambuka kwake Alps kunodhura uye kwakashinga. Kupinda kwake kuchamhembe kweItaly kwakateverwa nokusimbiswa kwake nevatsigiri veGaul uye kukunda kukuru pamusoro pemauto eRoma muHondo yeTrebia
uye kumira kukuru paTrasimene. VaRoma vakashandisa nzira yaFabian, yaisanganisira kurwisana panzvimbo pokurwisana zvakananga, nechinangwa chokunonoka uye kuderedza zvishoma nezvishoma mauto ake. Kunyange zvazvo yakanga iri nzira inoshanda, yakanga isingafarirwi mune zvematongerwe enyika, sezvo yaipesana negadziriro yechiuto yechinyakare. Nokudaro vaRoma vakashandisa hondo imwe huru yomunda paCannae, asi pasinei zvapo nechiverengero chavo chakakwirira, vakakundwa zvinorwadza, vachitambura, kunonzi, kurasikirwa navanhu 60 000.