Battle of Capua The First Battle of Capua was fought in 212 BCE between Hannibal and two Roman consular armies . The Roman force was led by two consuls , Quintus Fulvius Flaccus and Appius Claudius Pulcher . The Roman force was defeated , but managed to escape . Hannibal temporarily managed to raise the siege of Capua . A tactical Carthaginian victory , but ultimately it did not help the Capuans . Strategic situation . In Italy , The Romans had fielded at least four armies . The Consular armies were poised to attack Capua , while an army under Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was active in Lucania . Legions were also stationed in Rome , Samnium and North Italy . Romans had retaken Arpi , Casilinum and Sussela from the Carthaginians . Hannibal had enjoyed considerable success , as Thruii , Metapontum and Heraclea had fallen under Carthaginian control . Hanno the Elder was active in Bruttium . All of Magna Graecia except Rhegium and Tarentum was allied to Carthage . Hannibal was in Southern Italy , trying to gain the citadel of Tarentum , while the city had fallen to him in 213 BC . ( Cottrell , Leonard , Hannibal : Enemy of Rome p . 172 ) . In Iberia , The Romans and Carthaginians were deadlocked with neither side gaining any decisive advantage . In fact , the situation was favorable enough for Hasdrubal Barca to move to Africa and crush the rebellion of Syphax without the Scipios gaining any advantages in Iberia . In Sicily , the Siege of Syracuse continued . On the whole , the Romans under Marcus Claudius Marcellus had gained the upper hand . The Carthaginians had not recovered from the ravages of pestilence which had decimated their army . Prelude . Capua had defected to Hannibal after the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC . Hannibal had made Capua his winter quarter in 215 BC and had conducted his campaigns against Nola and Casilinum from here . The Romans had recaptured Casilinum , crucial for attacking Capua , in 214 BC . Since then they had conducted annual raids during harvest time to prevent the Capuans from gathering provisions . ( Cottrell , Leonard , Hannibal : Enemy of Rome p . 173 ) . In 212 BC , the elected consuls , Appius Claudius and Quintus Flavius Flaccus resolved to besiege Capua . The Roman army of eight legions ( four Roman and four allied ) encamped near Capua in the spring of 212 BC . This had prompted the Capuans to appeal to Hannibal for aid . In response to their appeal , Hanno the Elder and his army moved north from Bruttium and collected provisions for Capua , and encamped near Beneventum . The Capuan authorities were late in providing the carts for carrying provisions . The Romans under Fulvius Flaccus attacked Hanno ' s camp while most of his men were foraging , and captured it after initial setbacks . Hanno retired to Bruttium , leaving the Romans in command of the situation . The Capuans again sent an appeal for help to Hannibal . ( Lazanby , J . F . , Hannibal ' s War , p . 113 ) . In response , Hannibal sent 2 , 000 Numidian cavalry under Boaster and Hanno as reinforcements to Capua . The Romans called on Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus to join their armies around Capua with his force , but he was ambushed in Lucania , and with his death his army dispersed . ( Goldsworthy , A . The Fall of Carthage , p . 233 - 235 ) . Battle . The Numidians , along with the Capuan Cavalry , raided the Roman camp , winning several skirmishes and causing casualties among the Romans . The Romans were waiting for Gracchus to reinforce them with additional cavalry and did not start any general action against Capua . However , before the expected reinforcements arrived , Hannibal and his army moved into Campania , and encamped on Mount Tifata on the eastern side of Capua . After three days he offered battle , and the Romans accepted the challenge . The battle was a long drawn affair with neither side gaining any decisive advantage , but again the Numidians gained considerable successes against the Roman cavalry . However , seeing horsemen approaching from the south , both armies broke off action and retired to their respective camps . The horsemen turned out to be the cavalry of Gracchus , under the command of Cornelius , a junior officer , coming to join the consular armies . Aftermath . Although the Battle had not produced any decisive results , the Roman consuls decided to split their armies and withdraw from Campania altogether . Whether this was a result of casualties ( G . P . Baker , Hannibal , p194 ) or deliberate strategy , Flavius Flaccus moved towards Cumae , while Appius Claudius moved into Lucania . Hannibal entered Capua , and then set off in pursuit of Claudius . Appius Claudis and part of his army managed to slip past Hannibal , but a Roman Army under M . Centenius Paenula was wiped out in the Battle of the Silarus . Hannibal , having raised the siege of Capua , moved to attack Brundisium . The Roman consuls decided to besiege Capua again in the absence of Hannibal . Neither side gained any decisive strategic advantage from this battle .