Hannibal and the Punic Wars

In this episode unlike any other, I go more into 'historian mode' than you've ever seen before. I spend 50 minutes trying to answer the question of whether Adrianople was a significant battle.

We celebrate three years of TheHistoryOf by recording our first three ever episodes, the beginning of 'TheHistoryOf - Nationalism in Ireland'.

In this last regular episode before I take a break for the exam period, we journey over to Carthage to see Hannibal's brother ask the Senate for supplies. Hannibal needs the level of reinforcements to win him the war, he needs a Carthaginian Van Persie.

This week Rome is betrayed! We take a look at Hannibal's journey to Campania, he fails to take Naples, but luckily for him, there is a traitor in Rome's midst. This is the episode that the second city of Italy, Capua, betrays Rome and joins Hannibal.

This week we have a second episode title which is numbers, anyone able to work out what this is a reference to? This week we deal with the hostages captured by Hannibal, and I go over why Hannie's opinions on Rome's attitude towards these hostages from episode 35 are spot on.

This week we have a second introduction, as well as looking at what events after Cannae. We see Fabius and the Senate impose some order on Rome, introduce Marcellus to the story, as well as looking at Rome's darkest moment: human sacrifice within the eternal city.

This week is a departure from normality. For a week we mostly break out of the narrative, and go into historian mode. We take a look at the rise of the next generation, men like Scipio Africanus, in the days after Cannae, as well as looking at the situation at Rome.

This week we return to Sicily, another theatre of the war where the Romans are getting the better of the Carthaginians. We take a look at the Battle of Lilybaeum, as well as the Roman conquest of Malta. I also announce a new History Podcasting Cage Match: the most important event since World War Two. Featuring a guest introduction by Tom Villemaire of the History of France in English Podcast.

This week we return to Spain to catch up on what was going on in the Mediterranean elsewhere than Italy. As Gnaeus and Publius Scipio direct this theatre of the war, a very strange thing happens. The Romans do well. I also announce a new 'Who's Who?' feature on the website.

This week we are rejoined by Hannie Kirkham for Let's Talk Number 3: Marching on Rome! We get into the ins and outs of this great historical debate hearing from you, the listener! We explore all the issues crucial to this debate, such as a Germanic Rome, time travelling toasters, was Hannibal a born genius, the Lord of the Rings, the Hunger Games, rain checks, Les Miserable and Manchester City commentaries. We also announce the London Meetup in The George Inn, 8 June 2013! It's all very exciting, and we hope to see you there!