The Wikipedia article for the Battle of Cannae states that recruiting was opened up to convicts and other lower strata of society to try to quickly replace two of the lost legions. obviously I shouldn't take everything I read on Wikipedia as unassailable fact, but that does seem somewhat at odds with the historical stereotype of an army composed of self-funding middle-class legionnaires.
> to try to quickly replace two of the lost legions
Yes, it seems like this was part of the extraordinary measures taken after the defeat at Cannae. From the same wikipedia article you’re talking about:
> As news of this defeat reached Rome, the city was gripped in panic. Authorities resorted to extraordinary measures, which included consulting the Sibylline Books, dispatching a delegation led by Quintus Fabius Pictor to consult the Delphic oracle in Greece, and burying four people alive as a sacrifice to their gods. To raise two new legions, the authorities lowered the draft age and enlisted criminals, debtors and even slaves. Despite the extreme loss of men and equipment, and a second massive defeat later that same year at Silva Litana, the Romans refused to surrender to Hannibal. His offer to ransom survivors was brusquely refused. The Romans fought for 14 more years until they achieved victory at the Battle of Zama.
The person you’re replying to was talking about the norm, while this would have been the exception (until the later reforms of Marius)
