Editing Battle of Cannae (section)

== Equipment ==
[[File:Balearic Slinger.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|A modern interpretation of a slinger from the [[Balearic Islands]], famous for the skill of their slingers]]

Rome's forces used typical [[Roman military personal equipment#Torso armor|Roman equipment]] including {{lang|la|[[Pilum|pila]]}} (heavy javelins) and {{lang|la|[[hasta (spear)|hastae]]}} (thrusting spears) as weapons as well as traditional bronze helmets, bodyshields and body armor.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2001|p=44}} In contrast, the Carthaginian army used a variety of equipment. The Iberians fought with {{lang|la|[[falcata]]s}}, while Celtiberians and Lusitanians used straight {{lang|la|[[gladii]]}},{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=100}} as well as [[javelin]]s and various types of spears.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2001|p=54}} For defense, warriors from Hispania carried large oval shields and often wore a crested helmet made of animal sinews.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2001|p=54}} Most Gallic foot warriors likely had no protection other than large shields, and the typical Gallic weapon was a long slashing sword.<ref name="Polybius iii.114">Polybius, ''Histories'', iii.114</ref>

The [[Numidian cavalry]] were very lightly equipped, lacking saddles and bridles for their horses, and wearing no armor but carrying small shields, javelins and possibly a knife or a longer blade.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2001|p=54}} In contrast, the heavier Iberian peninsular cavalry carried round shields, swords, javelins and thrusting spears.{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=99}} The similarly heavy Gallic cavalry added the four-horned saddle, with the wealthier ones being clad in mail, a Gallic invention.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2001|p=54}}

Skirmishers acting as light infantry carried either slings or javelins. The [[Balearic slingers]], who were famous for their accuracy, carried short, medium and long slings used to cast stones or bullets. They may have carried a small shield or simple leather pelt on their arms, but this is uncertain. Hannibal himself, like many Roman officers on the opposing side, might have been wearing a bronze {{lang|la|[[Muscle cuirass|musculata]]}} and carrying a {{lang|la|[[falcata]]}} as his personal sidearm.{{sfn|Daly|2002|pp=107–108}}

The equipment of the Libyan line infantry has been much debated. Duncan Head has argued in favor of short stabbing spears.<ref name="Head1983">Duncan Head, ''Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars'' (Wargames Research Group, 1983) p. 144.</ref> Polybius states that the Libyans fought with equipment taken from previously defeated Romans. It is unclear whether he meant only shields and armor or offensive weapons as well,{{sfn|Daly|2002|p=89}} though a general reading suggests he meant the whole panoply of arms and armor, and even tactical organization. Apart from his description of the battle itself, when later discussing the subject of the [[Roman legion]] versus the Greek [[phalanx]], Polybius says that "...against Hannibal, the defeats they suffered had nothing to do with weapons or formations" because "Hannibal himself... discarded the equipment with which he had started out [and] armed his troops with Roman weapons".<ref name="Polybius iii.114" />

Gregory Daly is inclined to the view that Libyan infantry would have copied the Iberian use of the sword during their fighting there and so were armed similarly to the Romans.{{sfn|Daly|2002|p=90}} [[Peter Connolly (classical scholar)|Peter Connolly]] has argued that they were armed as a [[Macedonian phalanx|pike phalanx]].<ref>{{cite dictionary |entry=Cannae, Battle of |editor-last=Connolly |editor-first=Peter |editor-last2=Gillingham |editor-first2=John |editor-last3=Lazenby |first3=John |dictionary=The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Warfare |publisher=Routledge |date=2016 |orig-date=1998 |p=148 |isbn=978-1-135-93674-7}}</ref> This has been disputed by Head, because [[Plutarch]] states they carried spears shorter than the Roman {{lang|la|[[triarii]]}}<ref name="Head1983" /> and by Daly because they could not have carried an unwieldy pike at the same time as a heavy Roman-style shield.{{sfn|Daly|2002|p=89}}