Dominic Sandbrook

On the left wing, so facing Paulus and the Roman cavalry, he's put the Spanish and Gallic heavy cavalry under the command of another very seasoned officer called inevitably Hasdrubal. So this isn't Hasdrubal the handsome. It's not Hasdrubal who's Hannibal's brother. It's another Hasdrubal. I just assume they're all called Hasdrubal, to be honest with you. Yeah, pretty much.

And Hasdrubal is in command of about 7,000 men. So he is outnumbering the Roman cavalry under Paulus about three to one. So that is where the Carthaginians have the advantage. But obviously when it comes to infantry, that is a very different story because the Carthaginians there are massively outnumbered. However, fortunately for Hannibal, he has a plan and it's a very cunning plan.

And Hasdrubal is in command of about 7,000 men. So he is outnumbering the Roman cavalry under Paulus about three to one. So that is where the Carthaginians have the advantage. But obviously when it comes to infantry, that is a very different story because the Carthaginians there are massively outnumbered. However, fortunately for Hannibal, he has a plan and it's a very cunning plan.

And Hasdrubal is in command of about 7,000 men. So he is outnumbering the Roman cavalry under Paulus about three to one. So that is where the Carthaginians have the advantage. But obviously when it comes to infantry, that is a very different story because the Carthaginians there are massively outnumbered. However, fortunately for Hannibal, he has a plan and it's a very cunning plan.

So what he does is he draws up his Spanish and Gallic heavy infantry in a continuous line facing the Romans. So stretching for almost a mile and a half. And compared to the Romans, this Carthaginian battle line is very, very slender. Hannibal stations himself and Mago, his younger brother, in the centre of the line. And he then leads the centre of the line outwards towards the Roman lines.

So what he does is he draws up his Spanish and Gallic heavy infantry in a continuous line facing the Romans. So stretching for almost a mile and a half. And compared to the Romans, this Carthaginian battle line is very, very slender. Hannibal stations himself and Mago, his younger brother, in the centre of the line. And he then leads the centre of the line outwards towards the Roman lines.

So what he does is he draws up his Spanish and Gallic heavy infantry in a continuous line facing the Romans. So stretching for almost a mile and a half. And compared to the Romans, this Carthaginian battle line is very, very slender. Hannibal stations himself and Mago, his younger brother, in the centre of the line. And he then leads the centre of the line outwards towards the Roman lines.

So the effect is to create a kind of crescent. The line starts to bulge outwards towards the Roman centre. Hannibal's aim in doing this is to ensure that the Roman effort will be kind of focused on the middle of the plain. And the reason that he does this is because he knows that this is how the legions fight, that their aim is always to push through the middle of their enemy's battle line.

So the effect is to create a kind of crescent. The line starts to bulge outwards towards the Roman centre. Hannibal's aim in doing this is to ensure that the Roman effort will be kind of focused on the middle of the plain. And the reason that he does this is because he knows that this is how the legions fight, that their aim is always to push through the middle of their enemy's battle line.

So the effect is to create a kind of crescent. The line starts to bulge outwards towards the Roman centre. Hannibal's aim in doing this is to ensure that the Roman effort will be kind of focused on the middle of the plain. And the reason that he does this is because he knows that this is how the legions fight, that their aim is always to push through the middle of their enemy's battle line.

If they do that, then they will inevitably break through the Carthaginian line because it's so thin relative to the Romans. At the Trebia, the Romans had done that and Hannibal hadn't been able to stop them then from kind of marching off and doing what they wanted. But this time at Cannae, he has planned for this eventuality.

If they do that, then they will inevitably break through the Carthaginian line because it's so thin relative to the Romans. At the Trebia, the Romans had done that and Hannibal hadn't been able to stop them then from kind of marching off and doing what they wanted. But this time at Cannae, he has planned for this eventuality.

If they do that, then they will inevitably break through the Carthaginian line because it's so thin relative to the Romans. At the Trebia, the Romans had done that and Hannibal hadn't been able to stop them then from kind of marching off and doing what they wanted. But this time at Cannae, he has planned for this eventuality.

So he is assuming that in the long run, the Roman line will break through the Spaniards and the Gauls. And he has kept back the Libyans, who are like a kind of phalanx, great long spears, and equipped with Roman arms and Roman armour. So they actually look quite like the legionaries. And these are Hannibal's best, most disciplined troops. And he has stationed them behind the front line.

So he is assuming that in the long run, the Roman line will break through the Spaniards and the Gauls. And he has kept back the Libyans, who are like a kind of phalanx, great long spears, and equipped with Roman arms and Roman armour. So they actually look quite like the legionaries. And these are Hannibal's best, most disciplined troops. And he has stationed them behind the front line.

So he is assuming that in the long run, the Roman line will break through the Spaniards and the Gauls. And he has kept back the Libyans, who are like a kind of phalanx, great long spears, and equipped with Roman arms and Roman armour. So they actually look quite like the legionaries. And these are Hannibal's best, most disciplined troops. And he has stationed them behind the front line.

and at an angle to it. So that if you imagine the Romans break through the line of the Spaniards and Gauls, the Libyans are like a pair of pincers ready to close in. So the Romans will think that they've broken through. They go rushing forwards. The Libyans will close in and capture them on their flanks. I mean, that is a difficult maneuver to pull off.

and at an angle to it. So that if you imagine the Romans break through the line of the Spaniards and Gauls, the Libyans are like a pair of pincers ready to close in. So the Romans will think that they've broken through. They go rushing forwards. The Libyans will close in and capture them on their flanks. I mean, that is a difficult maneuver to pull off.

and at an angle to it. So that if you imagine the Romans break through the line of the Spaniards and Gauls, the Libyans are like a pair of pincers ready to close in. So the Romans will think that they've broken through. They go rushing forwards. The Libyans will close in and capture them on their flanks. I mean, that is a difficult maneuver to pull off.

But obviously, if it does work, then potentially it's going to be very, very devastating in its effect. So just to try and get our heads around this,