In most battles the manipular formation proved superior to anything the enemy could deploy, and the Romans were typically able to destroy the enemy's center. Many times the Triarii were not even engaged. When the Romans ran into trouble it was usually due to an undersized or inexperienced cavalry. In the great battles against Hannibal, particularly Cannae, the Carthaginians were able to turn the wings of the Romans and attack the infantry from the sides. In their final battle against Hannibal at Zama, however, Scipio deployed strong cavalry to protect his wings and they were able to resist a flanking attack. The manipular formation also worked exceptionally well against elephants when the Romans created lanes for the elephants to run into so they could not trample the Roman lines.
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