Tom Holland

Wow. Yeah, that's a good fact.

Wow. Yeah, that's a good fact.

Wow. Yeah, that's a good fact.

But of course, those are Vietnam and the First World War, both industrialized conflicts. So the idea that a battle in the ancient world could have a scale of slaughter to rank alongside the conflicts of the modern age just seems extraordinary. But it's not the only reason why Cannae is such a famous battle, is it? It's also famous because for people who are great students of military tactics...

But of course, those are Vietnam and the First World War, both industrialized conflicts. So the idea that a battle in the ancient world could have a scale of slaughter to rank alongside the conflicts of the modern age just seems extraordinary. But it's not the only reason why Cannae is such a famous battle, is it? It's also famous because for people who are great students of military tactics...

But of course, those are Vietnam and the First World War, both industrialized conflicts. So the idea that a battle in the ancient world could have a scale of slaughter to rank alongside the conflicts of the modern age just seems extraordinary. But it's not the only reason why Cannae is such a famous battle, is it? It's also famous because for people who are great students of military tactics...

This is like sort of Maradona's second goal against England in 1986, or one of Lionel Messi's great performances, a Roger Federer or something. It is the acme of perfection.

This is like sort of Maradona's second goal against England in 1986, or one of Lionel Messi's great performances, a Roger Federer or something. It is the acme of perfection.

This is like sort of Maradona's second goal against England in 1986, or one of Lionel Messi's great performances, a Roger Federer or something. It is the acme of perfection.

It's the kind of thing that I imagine that if I was to study at West Point, a man in a bow tie would talk about this battle for weeks. Firstly, talk about Thucydides. And then they'd have you as a guest lecturer or something, Tom. It'd be awful. It'd be soul-destroying. Oh, what, for the listeners or for me? No, I mean, you'd be handsomely remunerated.

It's the kind of thing that I imagine that if I was to study at West Point, a man in a bow tie would talk about this battle for weeks. Firstly, talk about Thucydides. And then they'd have you as a guest lecturer or something, Tom. It'd be awful. It'd be soul-destroying. Oh, what, for the listeners or for me? No, I mean, you'd be handsomely remunerated.

It's the kind of thing that I imagine that if I was to study at West Point, a man in a bow tie would talk about this battle for weeks. Firstly, talk about Thucydides. And then they'd have you as a guest lecturer or something, Tom. It'd be awful. It'd be soul-destroying. Oh, what, for the listeners or for me? No, I mean, you'd be handsomely remunerated.

But I, as a student, I'd first have to endure the lecture by the man in the bow tie, and then you'd be pitching up to give an hour-long lecture, and my life would be in ruins. Anyway, let's move on.

But I, as a student, I'd first have to endure the lecture by the man in the bow tie, and then you'd be pitching up to give an hour-long lecture, and my life would be in ruins. Anyway, let's move on.

But I, as a student, I'd first have to endure the lecture by the man in the bow tie, and then you'd be pitching up to give an hour-long lecture, and my life would be in ruins. Anyway, let's move on.

So we can immerse ourselves in a way that we can't with other battles.

So we can immerse ourselves in a way that we can't with other battles.

So we can immerse ourselves in a way that we can't with other battles.

So before we get into the sort of the total immersion, as it were, let's give ourselves a little bit of context. So Hannibal, listeners will remember, had invaded Italy in autumn 218, this amazing journey across the Alps with his elephants that took two weeks, then down into the Valley of the Po. He had defeated a combined Roman army at the River Trebia.

So before we get into the sort of the total immersion, as it were, let's give ourselves a little bit of context. So Hannibal, listeners will remember, had invaded Italy in autumn 218, this amazing journey across the Alps with his elephants that took two weeks, then down into the Valley of the Po. He had defeated a combined Roman army at the River Trebia.