The importance of Capua during the third…
211 BCE
The importance of Capua during the third century BCE has increased steadily, and at the beginning of the Second Punic War it was considered to be only slightly behind Rome and Carthage themselves, and was able to furnish thirty thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry.
It had remained faithful to Rome until after the defeat of Cannae, but, after demanding in vain that one of the consuls should always be selected from it or perhaps in order to secure regional supremacy in the event of a Carthaginian victory, it had defected to Hannibal, who made it his winter quarters: he and his army were voluntarily received by Capua.
Livy and others have suggested that the luxurious conditions were Hannibal's "Cannae" because his troops became soft and demoralized by luxurious living.
Historians from Bosworth Smith onward have been skeptical of this, observing that his troops gave as good an account of themselves in battle after that winter as before.
After a long siege, it is taken by the Romans in 211 BCE and severely punished (Second Battle of Capua); its magistrates and communal organization are abolished, those inhabitants not killed lose their civic rights, and its territory is declared ager publicus (Roman state domain).
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