What would be a good list of decisive battles in history, the sort that get listed in books titled "decisive battles of history" whose effects are greatly overrated?
This is my list of seven, for starters, covering the period before 1900:
Cannae
Actium
Adrianople (the 378 battle)
Poitiers/ Tours
Hastings
Rocroi
Waterloo
The Spanish Armada could be listed, if you consider that a battle. Any of the famous English victories in the Hundred Years War as also candidates. I considered listing Marathon but the battle may actually have changed quite a deal.