Overview

Course No. 30120

Hannibal Barca is famous for marching an eclectic mix of troops across the Alps and into the Roman heartland during the Second Punic War. But how much do we know about the world Hannibal was born into and came of age in? About his family and their ties to the powerful port city of Carthage? About the Roman reaction to Hannibal’s wreckage and their approach to the war in general? About the Italian cities Hannibal either devastated or courted; the diverse and impressive army he built; the powerful Roman generals he confronted, bested, and often killed; and the obstacles he and his army endured the closer they came to Rome? And how much do we actually know about the real Hannibal—not the myth, but the nuanced and fallible man who lost brothers in battle, failed to succeed in a war he fought so hard to win, and died by suicide in exile—who remained a military legend.

In Hannibal: The Military Genius Who Almost Conquered Rome, get to know one of history’s most impressive generals from the political and military conflicts that defined his adolescence to the battles that made him famous. These 15 lectures will paint a portrait of not only Hannibal, but also his enemies and allies. Explore their world from the port city of Carthage and its sphere of influence to Rome and the terrains that Hannibal’s army crossed and sometimes occupied, en route on their mission of conquest. Learn about Hannibal’s family, follow his father Hamilcar on early military expeditions into Hispania and follow his brothers into battles during the Second Punic War. Accompany Carthaginian soldiers on their difficult journey across the Italian Alps, courting or confronting Roman-allied cities. Reconstruct key battles between Hannibal and a series of Roman generals, evaluating each side’s strengths, weaknesses, and strategy. And understand why Hannibal—an extremely successful general who terrified his rivals and impressed his contemporaries—ultimately lost his fight against Rome.

Course Outline

01: The Phoenicians and the Rise of Carthage

What do we really know about Hannibal Barca, an ancient Carthaginian military commander shrouded in myth and mystery? Evaluate two key sources on Hannibal’s life and career—Livy’s work on the Second Punic War and Polybius’s The Histories—before diving into the history of Hannibal’s homeland, Carthage.

Duration: 36 min

02: The First Punic War

Hannibal lived in the shadow of the Punic Wars, a century-long conflict involving Rome and his native Carthage. Investigate the complicated origins of the First Punic War. Explore Carthage’s early failures from the loss of Agrigento to defeat at the Battle of Mylae. And examine each side’s strengths, weaknesses, and imperial motivations at the start of the contest.

Duration: 35 min

03: Hamilcar and the Rise of the Barcids

After a string of military losses, Carthage looked like it would fall to the Romans. Get to know Hannibal’s father Hamilcar before delving into how Rome ultimately prevailed despite the elder Barcid’s small but important victories. And explore the civil war that consumed Carthage between the First and Second Punic Wars.

Duration: 34 min

04: Young Hannibal in Iberia, 237–221 BCE

What can be said about Hamilcar’s expedition to Iberia and Hasdrubal the Fair’s subsequent takeover of Iberia? How was young Hannibal primed for military service by an adolescence that was steeped in conquest? And why did the negotiations between Carthage and Rome fail to resolve the conflict between both powers? Dive into these questions and more.

Duration: 33 min

05: Hannibal Takes Command, 221–218 BCE

Begin by exploring Hannibal’s early years of military service from how he cultivated troop loyalty to gaining the military victories that impressed and, in some cases, frightened his contemporaries. And wrap up by setting the scene for the Second Punic War, delving into the conflict over and subsequent sacking of Saguntum.

Duration: 33 min

06: A New Hercules Prepares to Fight Rome

See how careful preparations, intelligence networks, sharp diplomacy, a diverse but well-governed army, and even dreams and Herculean legends helped Hannibal secure meaningful victories in the Second Punic War’s early years. And consider Carthage’s powerful army as it moved and fought its way toward Transalpine Gaul on the French coast.

Duration: 34 min

07: Hannibal Crosses the Alps, 218 BCE

Hannibal is famous for crossing the treacherous Alps. See how the young general transported his soldiers—as well as a cadre of elephants—across the mighty Rhone River. Investigate the obstacles that faced Hannibal and his army throughout their mountainous journey. And take stock of the impact of Carthage’s incredibly bold incursion into Italy.

Duration: 33 min

08: First Victories: Ticinus and Trebbia

Where did Rome stand, by the time Hannibal arrived in Northern Italy? What do we make of the famed commander’s impressive victory against powerful Roman forces and generals in Trebbia? And how was the skirmish—devastating for Rome, but great for Hannibal and Carthage—interpreted and explained by contemporaries? Tackle these questions and more.

Duration: 30 min

09: The Romans Panic: Lake Trasimene, 217 BCE

Outmaneuvered and outflanked, the mood in Rome quickly soured. Follow Hannibal’s diverse army of Nubian, Celtic, and Carthaginian men on their trek to Picenum, paying special attention to Hannibal’s incredible ambush of Roman commander Flaminius and his army at Lake Trasimene. Then, focus on how Romans from different walks of life responded back home.

Duration: 32 min

10: Cannae: Hannibal’s Great Victory, 216 BCE

Follow Carthaginian troops as they hunkered down for the winter in Geronium only to reemerge stronger in the summer of 216 BCE. See how Rome’s Fabian strategy of containment played out, zeroing in on especially “bullish” confrontation as an example. Break down the Battle of Cannae, a skirmish that cemented Hannibal’s historic reputation.

Duration: 34 min

11: Southern Italy Rebels against Rome

Buoyed by victory, why was the famed Carthaginian general so hesitant about attacking Rome itself? How did both Rome and Carthage take the news of Hannibal’s plunder of the Italian peninsula? What, ultimately, led to the defection of a key Roman ally, the city of Capua? And what condition was the Carthaginian army in after the partnership? Consider these and other questions.

Duration: 33 min

12: Macedon and the Fall of Syracuse, 212 BCE

See how both Rome and Carthage sustained themselves in terms of money, manpower, and supplies in this critical period. Then, turn your attention to Macedonia and the allegiance it pursued with Carthage. End with a blow-by-blow account of a major turning point in the Second Punic War: the fall of Syracuse to Rome.

Duration: 39 min

13: The Scipii and the 10-Year War for Iberia

Rome won the Second Punic War, not in Italy, but in Iberia and North Africa. Delve into both theaters, getting to know key characters, like the formidable Roman Scipiones family. Look at how a series of military victories, along with a leadership shake-up, handed Iberia to the Romans.

Duration: 36 min

14: The Tide Turns against Carthage, 209–205 BCE

By 209 BCE, Carthage found itself in trouble. Dive into the many factors behind Hasdrubal’s devastating defeat at the hands of Claudius Nero in the Second Punic War. See how Rome used Hannibal’s own military tactics against him. And, set the scene for Carthage’s eventual ruin in North Africa.

Duration: 35 min

15: Hannibal’s Defeat, Escape, and Final Years

End the course by reconstructing the long resolution of the Second Punic War from confrontations in North Africa to the Battle of Zama. Examine the showdown between Roman-allied Masinissa and Carthage-allied Syphax. And explore what became of Hannibal and his homeland in the aftermath of defeat.

Duration: 37 min