Dominic Sandbrook

And the whole Roman army now is surrounded. You've got the Gauls and the Spaniards on the front. You've got the Libyans on the flanks. You've got Hasdrubal's cavalry in the rear. The process of annihilation is now set in train and it takes Hannibal's men many hours. And it must have been a hideous experience for everyone. I mean, completely exhausting, even for Hannibal's men.

And the whole Roman army now is surrounded. You've got the Gauls and the Spaniards on the front. You've got the Libyans on the flanks. You've got Hasdrubal's cavalry in the rear. The process of annihilation is now set in train and it takes Hannibal's men many hours. And it must have been a hideous experience for everyone. I mean, completely exhausting, even for Hannibal's men.

Their shields are heavy, their sword arms are starting to ache. They're drenched in sweat. Lots of them are wounded. And I imagine that as the battle goes on, so the kind of the pauses between the bouts of combat go longer and longer. And for the Romans trapped inside, I mean, this just must have been And we're talking about tens of thousands of men. Tens of thousands.

Their shields are heavy, their sword arms are starting to ache. They're drenched in sweat. Lots of them are wounded. And I imagine that as the battle goes on, so the kind of the pauses between the bouts of combat go longer and longer. And for the Romans trapped inside, I mean, this just must have been And we're talking about tens of thousands of men. Tens of thousands.

Their shields are heavy, their sword arms are starting to ache. They're drenched in sweat. Lots of them are wounded. And I imagine that as the battle goes on, so the kind of the pauses between the bouts of combat go longer and longer. And for the Romans trapped inside, I mean, this just must have been And we're talking about tens of thousands of men. Tens of thousands.

So some of them managed to escape. You know, there are kind of gaps in the Carthaginian line they can get out. Some of the Italian allies surrender, and that's fine. You know, Hannibal's policy is absolutely to accept their surrender. But the Romans, though, most of them stand their ground. A refusal to submit is the essence of what being a Roman is.

So some of them managed to escape. You know, there are kind of gaps in the Carthaginian line they can get out. Some of the Italian allies surrender, and that's fine. You know, Hannibal's policy is absolutely to accept their surrender. But the Romans, though, most of them stand their ground. A refusal to submit is the essence of what being a Roman is.

So some of them managed to escape. You know, there are kind of gaps in the Carthaginian line they can get out. Some of the Italian allies surrender, and that's fine. You know, Hannibal's policy is absolutely to accept their surrender. But the Romans, though, most of them stand their ground. A refusal to submit is the essence of what being a Roman is.

It's the quality that's most admired in the Republic. And I think it's hard to overemphasize the horror of their fate, the physical crush, the panic and the certainty of approaching death. Because if you're in the center of this kind of great crush of men, imagine You don't really know what's happening, and then the news comes to you about what's happened.

It's the quality that's most admired in the Republic. And I think it's hard to overemphasize the horror of their fate, the physical crush, the panic and the certainty of approaching death. Because if you're in the center of this kind of great crush of men, imagine You don't really know what's happening, and then the news comes to you about what's happened.

It's the quality that's most admired in the Republic. And I think it's hard to overemphasize the horror of their fate, the physical crush, the panic and the certainty of approaching death. Because if you're in the center of this kind of great crush of men, imagine You don't really know what's happening, and then the news comes to you about what's happened.

You're stuck there waiting for the Carthaginian swords and spears to reach you. I mean, just hideous. People start to void their bowels, to urinate with terror, to vomit. Piles of corpses are starting to rise. The sun is high in the sky, so they're starting to smell. It's drifting across the battlefield. Death from the air, slingshot is starting to rain down again.

You're stuck there waiting for the Carthaginian swords and spears to reach you. I mean, just hideous. People start to void their bowels, to urinate with terror, to vomit. Piles of corpses are starting to rise. The sun is high in the sky, so they're starting to smell. It's drifting across the battlefield. Death from the air, slingshot is starting to rain down again.

You're stuck there waiting for the Carthaginian swords and spears to reach you. I mean, just hideous. People start to void their bowels, to urinate with terror, to vomit. Piles of corpses are starting to rise. The sun is high in the sky, so they're starting to smell. It's drifting across the battlefield. Death from the air, slingshot is starting to rain down again.

You've still got this blinding dust and blood just everywhere, drenching it. I mean, it's like wading through a sea of blood and viscera. And I think the trauma of it is most grotesquely and unsettlingly illustrated in that passage that you opened this episode with.

You've still got this blinding dust and blood just everywhere, drenching it. I mean, it's like wading through a sea of blood and viscera. And I think the trauma of it is most grotesquely and unsettlingly illustrated in that passage that you opened this episode with.

You've still got this blinding dust and blood just everywhere, drenching it. I mean, it's like wading through a sea of blood and viscera. And I think the trauma of it is most grotesquely and unsettlingly illustrated in that passage that you opened this episode with.

People may remember that Livy reports how the day after the Carthaginians inspect the battlefield and they find among the Roman dead some with their heads buried in the ground. I mean, I can't believe that's true. But if it is, then it's either kind of suicide or an attempt to hide from the horrors of the battle.

People may remember that Livy reports how the day after the Carthaginians inspect the battlefield and they find among the Roman dead some with their heads buried in the ground. I mean, I can't believe that's true. But if it is, then it's either kind of suicide or an attempt to hide from the horrors of the battle.

People may remember that Livy reports how the day after the Carthaginians inspect the battlefield and they find among the Roman dead some with their heads buried in the ground. I mean, I can't believe that's true. But if it is, then it's either kind of suicide or an attempt to hide from the horrors of the battle.