Tom Holland

But Tom, can I jump in and make an observation? Yeah, of course. We compared Hannibal, or you compared him in a previous episode to Charles XII of Sweden. A commander who has a lot in common with Hannibal and with Napoleon. They're swashbuckling, they're charismatic, they captivate all Europe, they take the initiative, they sacrifice a lot of men for an advantage.

But Tom, can I jump in and make an observation? Yeah, of course. We compared Hannibal, or you compared him in a previous episode to Charles XII of Sweden. A commander who has a lot in common with Hannibal and with Napoleon. They're swashbuckling, they're charismatic, they captivate all Europe, they take the initiative, they sacrifice a lot of men for an advantage.

But Tom, can I jump in and make an observation? Yeah, of course. We compared Hannibal, or you compared him in a previous episode to Charles XII of Sweden. A commander who has a lot in common with Hannibal and with Napoleon. They're swashbuckling, they're charismatic, they captivate all Europe, they take the initiative, they sacrifice a lot of men for an advantage.

And the other thing that all three have in common is they all end up losing. And they do that partly because they throw away men thinking, well, vim and vigor matter more than manpower. But the Romans could have told all three of those people that manpower matters more than anything. And that is exactly the challenge that Hannibal recognizes.

And the other thing that all three have in common is they all end up losing. And they do that partly because they throw away men thinking, well, vim and vigor matter more than manpower. But the Romans could have told all three of those people that manpower matters more than anything. And that is exactly the challenge that Hannibal recognizes.

And the other thing that all three have in common is they all end up losing. And they do that partly because they throw away men thinking, well, vim and vigor matter more than manpower. But the Romans could have told all three of those people that manpower matters more than anything. And that is exactly the challenge that Hannibal recognizes.

Okay, that's interesting. So he's sacrificing men now to gain men later. That's his thinking.

Okay, that's interesting. So he's sacrificing men now to gain men later. That's his thinking.

Okay, that's interesting. So he's sacrificing men now to gain men later. That's his thinking.

So this achievement of coming down from the Alps... Something that people would have thought impossible, especially as he's done it with a load of elephants. Presumably, he knows perfectly well that as a PR coup, as a propaganda coup, nothing could be better fitted to impress the people he wants to recruit.

So this achievement of coming down from the Alps... Something that people would have thought impossible, especially as he's done it with a load of elephants. Presumably, he knows perfectly well that as a PR coup, as a propaganda coup, nothing could be better fitted to impress the people he wants to recruit.

So this achievement of coming down from the Alps... Something that people would have thought impossible, especially as he's done it with a load of elephants. Presumably, he knows perfectly well that as a PR coup, as a propaganda coup, nothing could be better fitted to impress the people he wants to recruit.

you know, 2,200 years on. The elephants don't all die. Sometimes said they all died, but they didn't all die. Most of them survived the journey. Is that right?

you know, 2,200 years on. The elephants don't all die. Sometimes said they all died, but they didn't all die. Most of them survived the journey. Is that right?

you know, 2,200 years on. The elephants don't all die. Sometimes said they all died, but they didn't all die. Most of them survived the journey. Is that right?

Okay. So where is Scipio at this point? Scipio is approaching from which direction?

Okay. So where is Scipio at this point? Scipio is approaching from which direction?

Okay. So where is Scipio at this point? Scipio is approaching from which direction?

So to unite the two big Roman forces.

So to unite the two big Roman forces.