Editing Battle of Cannae (section)

== Armies ==
Figures for troops involved in ancient battles are often unreliable, and Cannae is no exception. They should be treated with caution, especially those for the Carthaginian side.{{sfn|Daly|2002|p=32}} The Carthaginian army was a combination of warriors from numerous regions, and may have numbered between 40,000 and 50,000. Their infantry comprised an estimated 8,000 [[Ancient Libya|Libyans]], 5,500 [[Gaetuli]]an, 16,000 [[Gauls]], mainly [[Boii]] and [[Insubres]] (8,000 were left at camp the day of battle) and 8,000 of several tribes of [[Hispania]], including [[Iberians]], [[Celtiberians]] and [[Lusitanians]].{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=94}}

Hannibal's cavalry also came from diverse backgrounds. He commanded 4,000 [[Numidians|Numidian]], 2,000 Iberian peninsular, 4,000 Gallic and 450 Libyan-Phoenician cavalry. Hannibal had an auxiliary [[skirmisher]] contingent consisting of 1,000–2,000 [[Balearics|Balearic]] [[Sling (weapon)#Written history|slingers]] and 6,000 mixed-nationality javelinmen, possibly including Lusitanians among them.{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=106}} The uniting factor for the Carthaginian army was the personal tie each group had with Hannibal.{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=29–32}}{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=81–112}}