To provide a layered cable having increased corrosion resistance, and fatigue strength under compression as a tire belt, and to provide a multi-strand rope incorporating the layered cable as the elementary strand.

The compact metal cord has two layers (C1, C2) of construction 1+N, comprising a core or inner layer (C1) comprising a single core wire 10 of diameter d1, and a saturated outer layer (C2) of N wires 12 of diameter d2 wound together in a helix at a pitch p2 around the inner layer (C1). The layered cord satisfies the following characteristics (d1, d2, and P2 in mm): 0.15<d1<0.50; 0.15<d2<0.50; 8<P2<25, the core is surrounded by a sheath 11 of diene rubber which fills, at least in part, the gaps between the core wire 10 and the wires 12 of the layer (C2). The layered cable (C-I) is specifically useful for a tire belt for heavy load.