INTRODUCTION

After Cannae, Hannibal waited a few days in Apulia and then proceeded to Samnium; there he gained the loyalty of Compsa as the pro-Roman aristocracy fled the city. At this point Hannibal divided his forces and marched into Campania, leaving part of his army with Mago to secure the loyalty of any remaining pro-Roman settlements ‘of that region’ (regionis eius). Thence, Mago marched into Bruttium to encourage rebellion, and finally returned to Carthage and reported Hannibal's victories to the Carthaginian senate. In the meantime, Hanno took over operations in Bruttium, though his forces did not reach the area until August at the earliest. Most of the Bruttians appear to have come over to the Carthaginians quite readily, though whether they did so before Mago's or Hanno's arrival is not clear. But some Bruttian communities, including the important cities of Petelia and Consentia, remained loyal to Rome, at least initially. It would take nearly a year to capture Petelia and Consentia, and only after these cities capitulated did Hannibal's commanders begin to gain the support of western Italiote cities such as Locri and Croton. Indeed, Hannibal never secured all of Bruttium and western Magna Graecia, because Rhegion, which commanded the Straits of Messina, remained loyal to Rome throughout the war. It served as a base for Roman land and sea operations in the reconquest of Bruttium and the western Italiote cities.