Tom Holland

148, Roman setbacks continue.

They are going around trying to mop up Carthaginian strongholds beyond Carthage.

But these two are able to hold out.

And again, sallies are launched out from the walls and they burn Roman siege engines and so on.

And then in 148, Massinissa...

You know, the old war horse, the man who had once been a Carthaginian ally and then become their great enemy.

He dies at the fabulous age of 91.

And that might have offered hope to the Carthaginians, perhaps, you know, that this kind of inveterate enemy of theirs has gone.

And then there comes news from the Balkans.

that a pretender to the Macedonian throne has emerged.

So people remember that the kingdom of Macedon had been divided up into these four cantons.

A pretender has emerged and he wants to reunite these cantons and make himself king.

And he defeats a Roman army and sends messages to the Carthaginians saying, will you enter into an alliance?

And of course the Carthaginians say yes.

So suddenly they do have...

an ally.

Now, the Romans, you know, they're not despondent.

They're still fully expecting to win.

But I think there's a certain sense of alarm developing.

And so they start to look around for a saviour, someone qualified to step into the breach and prove himself a hero.