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Rome declared war on Carthage in 218 BCE, beginning the Second Punic War. Hannibal immediately put in motion a bold and risky plan. He marched his army from Spain across southern Gaul, crossed the Alps, and fell on Italy like a thunderbolt. In the next two years, he won brilliant victories at the Trebia and Lake Trasimene. Shocked by their defeats, the Romans appointed a Dictator, Fabius Maximus. Nicknamed the Delayer, Fabius avoided battle with Hannibal until the Romans had regained their strength and confidence.

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After being defeated in the First Punic War, Carthage was reduced to an African city-state. Its remarkable revival was initiated by Hamilcar Barca, the most successful Carthaginian general and de facto ruler of the republic. Hamilcar and his family, the Barcids, conquered a new empire in Spain. In 221 BCE, Hannibal Barca, son of Hamilcar, came to power in Spain and Carthage. Inheriting the superb army that his Barcid predecessors had built, he immediately showed flashes of genius. Then, in 220 BCE, he received a fateful embassy from Rome.

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War was not inevitable between Rome and Carthage. But in 264 BCE, they were drawn into conflict over Sicily. The result was the First Punic War, a twenty-three-year-long struggle that pushed both republics to their limits. In the end, Rome was triumphant and Carthage humbled.

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The Roman legions are the most famous fighting force of the ancient world. In this part of the podcast, we will examine how the legions of the Punic Wars were raised, organized, trained and armed. Above all, we will see how they fought. In doing so, we shall catch a glimpse of the fierce face of Roman battle. 

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By the third century BCE, the Western Mediterranean was dominated by two great republics, Carthage and Rome. From its matchless position on the coast of present-day Tunisia, Carthage dominated commerce in the Western Mediterranean basin. Its navy ruled the waves from the straits of Sicily to the Pillars of Hercules. It also ruled a considerable land empire that included much of North Africa, Sicily, and Sardinia. Rome was a fast-rising star—dynamic, vigorous, and aggressively expansionist. It had just recently imposed its dominion over most of Italy. Traditionally, Carthage and Rome have been portrayed as diametric opposites. In reality, they had much in common.

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A note to listeners: In addition to the complete episode, I am publishing the Battle of Cannae in eight parts. 

On August 2, 216 BCE, at Cannae in southern Italy, the largest army ever fielded by the Roman Republic was wiped out by the Carthaginian warlord Hannibal Barca and his army of African, Spanish, and Gallic veterans. The battle of Cannae is a tactical masterpiece that has been studied ever since by scholars and soldiers. It remains a byword for slaughter, for the total annihilation of an army. For Hannibal, Cannae confirmed that he was one of the greatest military geniuses in history. It also brought him to the brink of final triumph over Rome. For the Romans Republic, Cannae was the darkest hour in its history. 

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On August 2, 216 BCE, at Cannae in southern Italy, the Carthaginian warlord Hannibal Barca and his army of veteran African, Spanish, and Gallic mercenaries destroyed the largest force ever fielded by the Roman Republic. Since then, Cannae has been studied by scholars and soldiers as a tactical masterpiece—a perfect battle. It remains a byword for slaughter, for the total annihilation of an army. For Hannibal, Cannae confirmed that he was one of the greatest captains in military history. It also brought him to the brink of final triumph over Rome. For the Roman Republic, Cannae was its darkest hour.

This episode begins by examining Rome and Carthage and how they came into conflict. Then it traces the rise of Hannibal Barca. It follows him and his superb army as they march across western Europe, storm over the Alps, and fall upon Italy like a thunderbolt. The episode next plunges into the fighting at Cannae, which culminates in the horrific slaughter of the Roman legions. It concludes by explaining how Hannibal won a great victory but did not know how to use it.

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The Battle of Cannae. Coming in September.

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After the Persian wars, the Spartans transformed the Battle of Thermopylae from a defeat into a heroic last stand that paved the way for final victory. The legend of Thermopylae then became part of the cultural heritage of the western world. It has proven astonishingly useful and malleable, being taken up for strikingly different ends by people as varied as French revolutionaries, Texan rebels, British imperialists, and Nazis. Today, popular culture entertainments such as Frank Miller’s award-winning comic 300 and the movie version of it by Zak Snyder ensure that the Thermopylae legend remains vividly alive. 

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Thwarted by Leonidas and his advance guard at Thermopylae, the Persians faced the failure of their invasion. Their mastery of intelligence and espionage now came to their rescue when a Greek traitor informed them of a way around the Greek position. The climax of the Battle of Thermopylae saw the Persian army overwhelm and wipe out Leonidas’ force. Following their victory, the Persians swept down into southern Greece and occupied Athens. But then came the turning point: the Athenian admiral Themistocles lured the Persian navy into the narrow straits of Salamis and destroyed it. The next year, the Greek resistance won two more battles at Plataea and Mycale. The Persian invasion was over.