Dominic Sandbrook

But the advantage of the Roman manipular system is that men who just become too tired or too wounded can be withdrawn and they can funnel more people forward. So there is this kind of relentless sense of fresh men coming to the front line. And so it's unsurprising that as the fighting goes on, although the Gauls and Spaniards fight with the utmost ferocity and implacability,

But the advantage of the Roman manipular system is that men who just become too tired or too wounded can be withdrawn and they can funnel more people forward. So there is this kind of relentless sense of fresh men coming to the front line. And so it's unsurprising that as the fighting goes on, although the Gauls and Spaniards fight with the utmost ferocity and implacability,

But the advantage of the Roman manipular system is that men who just become too tired or too wounded can be withdrawn and they can funnel more people forward. So there is this kind of relentless sense of fresh men coming to the front line. And so it's unsurprising that as the fighting goes on, although the Gauls and Spaniards fight with the utmost ferocity and implacability,

the Roman weight of numbers does start to tell. And as the Roman front line grinds forward, the crescent that the Gauls and the Spaniards have formed starts to flatten and then to buckle and to be pushed backwards. And the Romans in the center give a great, cheer. They consent victory. They push forwards. Space opens up behind them as they do so. More troops come filling in to fill the gap.

the Roman weight of numbers does start to tell. And as the Roman front line grinds forward, the crescent that the Gauls and the Spaniards have formed starts to flatten and then to buckle and to be pushed backwards. And the Romans in the center give a great, cheer. They consent victory. They push forwards. Space opens up behind them as they do so. More troops come filling in to fill the gap.

the Roman weight of numbers does start to tell. And as the Roman front line grinds forward, the crescent that the Gauls and the Spaniards have formed starts to flatten and then to buckle and to be pushed backwards. And the Romans in the center give a great, cheer. They consent victory. They push forwards. Space opens up behind them as they do so. More troops come filling in to fill the gap.

The order of the maniple starts to be lost. It's a great excited crush because everyone wants to share in the victory. Cries of joy, of triumph kind of rippling through the entire Roman battle line. The feeling is absolutely that the battle is won. But of course, Hannibal still has his two deadly cards to play.

The order of the maniple starts to be lost. It's a great excited crush because everyone wants to share in the victory. Cries of joy, of triumph kind of rippling through the entire Roman battle line. The feeling is absolutely that the battle is won. But of course, Hannibal still has his two deadly cards to play.

The order of the maniple starts to be lost. It's a great excited crush because everyone wants to share in the victory. Cries of joy, of triumph kind of rippling through the entire Roman battle line. The feeling is absolutely that the battle is won. But of course, Hannibal still has his two deadly cards to play.

And as the Gauls and Spaniards retreat, space has opened up for the Libyans who are hitherto been held in reserve to crash into the flanks of the advancing Romans. And it happens exactly as Hannibal has planned. I mean, it couldn't go better because by now the Romans are so tightly packed that they haven't got any opportunity to maneuver.

And as the Gauls and Spaniards retreat, space has opened up for the Libyans who are hitherto been held in reserve to crash into the flanks of the advancing Romans. And it happens exactly as Hannibal has planned. I mean, it couldn't go better because by now the Romans are so tightly packed that they haven't got any opportunity to maneuver.

And as the Gauls and Spaniards retreat, space has opened up for the Libyans who are hitherto been held in reserve to crash into the flanks of the advancing Romans. And it happens exactly as Hannibal has planned. I mean, it couldn't go better because by now the Romans are so tightly packed that they haven't got any opportunity to maneuver.

And in fact, it's quite difficult for them even to kind of, you know, raise their sword arms. And you just have this kind of great scrum of Romans men who are being slowly crushed together by the Libyan phalanxes to their left and to their right. And ahead of them, the Gauls and the Spaniards who had been retreating, they get a second wind. They sense that the balance of the battle has changed.

And in fact, it's quite difficult for them even to kind of, you know, raise their sword arms. And you just have this kind of great scrum of Romans men who are being slowly crushed together by the Libyan phalanxes to their left and to their right. And ahead of them, the Gauls and the Spaniards who had been retreating, they get a second wind. They sense that the balance of the battle has changed.

And in fact, it's quite difficult for them even to kind of, you know, raise their sword arms. And you just have this kind of great scrum of Romans men who are being slowly crushed together by the Libyan phalanxes to their left and to their right. And ahead of them, the Gauls and the Spaniards who had been retreating, they get a second wind. They sense that the balance of the battle has changed.

They turn around. They block the Roman advance. And The absolute horror for the Romans is that one minute they think they're winning, the battle is won, and then suddenly they find themselves surrounded on three sides by people who are not fleeing at all. And the Libyans are completely fresh. And more than that, they actually look like Romans.

They turn around. They block the Roman advance. And The absolute horror for the Romans is that one minute they think they're winning, the battle is won, and then suddenly they find themselves surrounded on three sides by people who are not fleeing at all. And the Libyans are completely fresh. And more than that, they actually look like Romans.

They turn around. They block the Roman advance. And The absolute horror for the Romans is that one minute they think they're winning, the battle is won, and then suddenly they find themselves surrounded on three sides by people who are not fleeing at all. And the Libyans are completely fresh. And more than that, they actually look like Romans.

So it must have come as a massive surprise for the Romans to suddenly find them crashing into them. So a horrible situation.

So it must have come as a massive surprise for the Romans to suddenly find them crashing into them. So a horrible situation.