This chapter discusses the military strategies and tactics of Hannibal, including his careful analysis of the terrain before each battle. It explores his victories at the Battle of the River Trebia, the Battle of Lake Trasimini, and the Battle of Canae. The chapter highlights the significance of Hannibal's double envelopment strategy and his ability to trap and defeat the Romans.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and achievements of Hannibal. One of the most celebrated military leaders in history, Hannibal was the Carthaginian general who led an entire army, complete with elephants, across the Alps in order to attack the Roman Republic. He lived at a time of prolonged hostility between the two great Mediterranean powers, Rome and Carthage, and was the Carthaginians' inspirational leader during the Second Punic War which unfolded between 218 and 202 BC. His career ended in defeat and exile, but he achieved such fame that even his enemies the Romans erected statues of him. Centuries later his tactical genius was admired and studied by generals including Napoleon and Wellington.
With:
Ellen O'Gorman
Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Bristol
Mark Woolmer
Senior Tutor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Durham
Louis Rawlings
Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at Cardiff University.
Producer: Natalia Fernandez.