Well, personally I would say that all things come to an end eventually and, although I don't know much about the final ending of the Roman Empire, I would imagine that this last 'day' - if indeed there is a recorded 'last day' of the Empire, surely would not have been a shock! Ie, Roman Empire one day...no Empire the next! *s*

However, to lose over 50,000 men of the largest army to date, when victory was assured, against an army half the size WAS certainly a shock! It was also Rome's biggest defeat in their entire history! I therefore propose that this day, August 16th 216 BC was Rome's worst ever military day, at the battle of Cannae against the ingenius Hannibal Barca. This, however, was (obviously) a day from which Rome would still recover - a symbol of her military might and dogged determination!

In mentioning the Battle of Cannae, has anyone (other than myself *s*) ever studied this great battle? I would like to discuss various discrepancies regarding things such as the orientation of the battlefield with regard to the river and the course of the river itself.