Dominic Sandbrook

And the fact that Livy records it, I mean, it must have been a story that was current at the time and therefore surely reflective of the scale of the horror. And by the end of the day, upwards of, you know, I mean... tens of thousands of Romans are dead.

And the fact that Livy records it, I mean, it must have been a story that was current at the time and therefore surely reflective of the scale of the horror. And by the end of the day, upwards of, you know, I mean... tens of thousands of Romans are dead.

And the fact that Livy records it, I mean, it must have been a story that was current at the time and therefore surely reflective of the scale of the horror. And by the end of the day, upwards of, you know, I mean... tens of thousands of Romans are dead.

I mean, I think you could say it's the most astonishing, the most remarkable victory that any general had ever won in history. And that is why it continues to be studied and admired by military strategists to this day. And you can't say that of any other ancient battle. It has a kind of perfection, a terrifying perfection about it.

I mean, I think you could say it's the most astonishing, the most remarkable victory that any general had ever won in history. And that is why it continues to be studied and admired by military strategists to this day. And you can't say that of any other ancient battle. It has a kind of perfection, a terrifying perfection about it.

I mean, I think you could say it's the most astonishing, the most remarkable victory that any general had ever won in history. And that is why it continues to be studied and admired by military strategists to this day. And you can't say that of any other ancient battle. It has a kind of perfection, a terrifying perfection about it.

Do you know, Dominic, we are going to leave that question as a cliffhanger. We are going to end our series on the rise of Hannibal at this point. Hannibal has attained the absolute pinnacle of everything he could have dreamed of. But as you say, there is still the fact that Rome is not yet defeated. Should Hannibal march on Rome? What's going to happen?

Do you know, Dominic, we are going to leave that question as a cliffhanger. We are going to end our series on the rise of Hannibal at this point. Hannibal has attained the absolute pinnacle of everything he could have dreamed of. But as you say, there is still the fact that Rome is not yet defeated. Should Hannibal march on Rome? What's going to happen?

Do you know, Dominic, we are going to leave that question as a cliffhanger. We are going to end our series on the rise of Hannibal at this point. Hannibal has attained the absolute pinnacle of everything he could have dreamed of. But as you say, there is still the fact that Rome is not yet defeated. Should Hannibal march on Rome? What's going to happen?

And we will hopefully answer those questions with a third series, which will take the story forwards. And that series as well will end on a terrible note.

And we will hopefully answer those questions with a third series, which will take the story forwards. And that series as well will end on a terrible note.

And we will hopefully answer those questions with a third series, which will take the story forwards. And that series as well will end on a terrible note.

Absolutely. And they always acknowledge his supreme genius as a general. And there's kind of certain...

Absolutely. And they always acknowledge his supreme genius as a general. And there's kind of certain...

Absolutely. And they always acknowledge his supreme genius as a general. And there's kind of certain...

self-serving quality to that because obviously if he's the world's greatest general and they've beaten him that redounds very well to their credit but i think that what you see there and also what you see in that passage from juvenile that you read again very beautifully in the previous episode so you've got an epic poet in the form of cilius italicus you've got a satirist in the form of juvenile

self-serving quality to that because obviously if he's the world's greatest general and they've beaten him that redounds very well to their credit but i think that what you see there and also what you see in that passage from juvenile that you read again very beautifully in the previous episode so you've got an epic poet in the form of cilius italicus you've got a satirist in the form of juvenile

self-serving quality to that because obviously if he's the world's greatest general and they've beaten him that redounds very well to their credit but i think that what you see there and also what you see in that passage from juvenile that you read again very beautifully in the previous episode so you've got an epic poet in the form of cilius italicus you've got a satirist in the form of juvenile

And what they're both fixing on, in particular, as emblematic of everything that makes Hannibal extraordinary, is this feat in crossing the Alps. And it makes Hannibal seem like Hercules, which is part of Hannibal's plan. That was what he was kind of going for. Makes him seem superhuman.

And what they're both fixing on, in particular, as emblematic of everything that makes Hannibal extraordinary, is this feat in crossing the Alps. And it makes Hannibal seem like Hercules, which is part of Hannibal's plan. That was what he was kind of going for. Makes him seem superhuman.