Hannibal and the Punic Wars

The final episode. We analyse the Second Punic War, and why Carthage lost. We then look at what happened to Hannibal and Scipio after the war. We conclude by looking at the short Third Punic War, in which Carthage was destroyed.

In this week, our penultimate episode, we cover the battle of Zama. Scipio finally fights Hannibal. This brings to a close the Second Punic War.

This week we cover the Battle of the Great Plains, and close the Italian theatre of the war as Hannibal finally goes home.

This week the African war really gets underway. Scipio, Laelius and Masinissa duel with Hasdrubal and Syphax around Utica, while things go badly for Hannibal in Italy.

This week Scipio invades Africa and Mago invades Italy.

This week we wrap up events in Sicily, but the main focus is the epic senate debate between Fabius and Scipio.

This week we watch Scipio tie up all the loose ends in Spain before moving back to Italy to take the consulship.

This week the podcast returns to something resembling a normal schedule! We watch Scipio be victorious over Hasdrubal, who fled to Italy, and then over Gisco to win the Spanish theatre of the war.

This week we continue Scipio's adventures in Spain, focusing much of the episode on his brilliant capture of New Carthage. We also include a brief discussion on how inaccurate ancient sources are, specifically when they say Gaul had a population of two hundred million people.

This week we travel back to Spain to look at an incident between Nero and Hasdrubal, a prelude to the Metaurus. We then introduce Scipio Africanus into the narrative and take him to Spain, where he plans an attack on New Carthage.

This week we have the aftermath of the Metaurus.

This week we have the Metaurus.

This week we have the build up to the Metaurus.

This week we look at the aftermath of the death of Marcellus, before moving on to 207 and the looming menace in the north of Italy that was Hasdrubal.

This week we have a jam-packed episode. Fabius takes Tarentum, we have the consular elections of 208, the death of Marcellus and, most importantly, we examine just why Manchester City need to make sure that James Milner signs a new contract.

This week we bring the narrative into 209, looking at the eventful election of Fabius and Fulvius to the consulship and the three day battle of Canusium. Also features a tangent on Narnia.

This week we finally return to Italy. We recap just where we were in the narrative in 211, look at the consular elections for 210, the siege of Tarentum and the battle for Salapia.

Hannibal is back! This week we cover the war in Greece, often called the First Macedonian War. We see just how things faired as the Romans, Macedonians, Achaeans and Aetolians duelled for control of the country.

This week we turn to the fifth theatre of the war, Greece. We have a high speed historical overview, before getting into the narrative with Philip V of Macedonia in 217. Featuring special guest Rob Monaco of The Podcast History of Our World.

This week we are joined by token Welshman Tom Vaudin for Let's Talk Number 4 - Teutoburgerwald. As my friend Tom is something of a specialist on the Teutoburgerwald we talk about the lead up to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath, as well as the Roman army in the early imperial period. Now this is a Let's Talk, so we must have tangents. We talk about The Hobbit, Les Miserable, the geography of Mordor, Manchester City's excellent run of form, the disasters that have befallen Manchester United (YES!) and a very detailed analysis of the first Formula One test of 2014 at Jerez, with particular attention given to the problems that Red Bull are having.

This week we finish of the story in Syracuse and Sicily for the moment with the fall of Syracuse.

In a TheHistoryOf Podcast special we answer the question of Spartan Collapse.

This week we look at the beginnings of the Siege of Syracuse, including some inventions of Archimedes. We also see Marcellus' campaigns around Sicily and end with Les Miserables references in Henna.

This week we look at the combined Roman-Syracusan attack upon Leontini, the tricks of Hippocrates and Epicydes, yet another revolution in Syracuse, and we introduce a huge figure of world history: Archimedes. In addition to this are references to grifting films, an exploration of a young Jamie learning Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, and a plot summary of Top Gear (UK) Season 10 Episode 2.

This week we continue to look at Syracuse, finding out what Epicydes and Hippocrates do once they become magistrates. Marcellus also rejoins the story.

This week we focus on Syracuse. The spirit of revolution takes hold of the city, leading to more intrigue, more assassination, and two unlikely figures coming to power.

This week we head over to the Mediterranean islands. We look at the war of Titus Manlius against Hampsicora in Sardinia, the death of Hiero and the ascension of Hieronymus in Syracuse. I'm sorry for the delay in the episode, I've been too ill to record.

This week we take events in Spain to 212. We cover the beginnings of Roman involvement in Africa, introduce Masinissa, cover the sad end of the Scipio Brothers in Spain, and an unsung hero, Lucius Marcius.

This week we go back to Spain and cover the years 216 to 214.

This week we enter 211 covering three big events: Hannibal's March on Rome, the 'Battle' of Rome, and the Fall of Capua.

This week we follow a series of battles throughout 212, some won by Carthaginians, others by Romans. The real development is that the Romans begin working on the capture of Capua. Also featuring the death of a beloved character and Back to the Future.

This week we follow Hannibal's attempts to take Tarentum, where something finally goes right for Hannibal, in addition to troublesome tax-farmers. We also have some programming notices discussing the episode length, a Fantasy Football League and the Daily Telegraph.

This week we follow Hannibal's attempts to take Tarentum, taking the story into 212. Also included is a plug for new show Talking History Podcast: The Italian Unification and the podcast's first cricket reference.

Hey guys. Long time listener and friend of the show Benjamin Ashwell has launched a new podcast with his brother, Adam, about the Italian unification. It's a great show, and one I'm really excited about, so here is a little trailer. Enjoy, and go listen!

This week we follow the march of the war through 214. We find out who the consuls for that year were, compare Hannibal's tactics in taking a port to that of Salah al-Din, find out what the censors were doing at Rome and look at a curious event involving heads.

This week we return back to Hannibal in Campania. Things do not go well for the Carthaginian general as he faces trouble at Cumae and Nola against the Roman dream team of Gracchus, Fabius and Marcellus. And in 'the dye was cast', this episode also features the best delivered line in the podcast thus far. Seriously, I card read good.

This week we turn our attention to the east, to Macedon, and to Philip. Featuring: The full Carthaginian-Macedonian alliance treaty. How many other podcasts offer this kind of entertainment?

This week we see Rome broken as news of another crushing defeat arrives in Rome from the north. In addition we tell the story of Petelian resistance to Carthage, ending in disaster. Attempts to make Latin senators, ending in disaster. I also try and explain just what the Roman command structure was like as we enter 215BC. There is no disaster here, but it is rather confusing.

This week we see Hannibal move all around Campania, trying desperately to get some allies. Sadly, no one wants to be Hannibal's friends and he becomes very frustrated. Also features is a snippet from my new podcast, The Arab Spring: A History.

A PSA. London's date changes from 8th June to 23rd of June, and two new podcasts are announced. A History Of: Alexander the Great - Remastered - from Tuesday 11th June, and The Arab Spring: A History - from Thursday 6th June.

In this episode unlike any other, I go more into 'historian mode' than you've ever seen before. I spend 50 minutes trying to answer the question of whether Adrianople was a significant battle.

We celebrate three years of TheHistoryOf by recording our first three ever episodes, the beginning of 'TheHistoryOf - Nationalism in Ireland'.

In this last regular episode before I take a break for the exam period, we journey over to Carthage to see Hannibal's brother ask the Senate for supplies. Hannibal needs the level of reinforcements to win him the war, he needs a Carthaginian Van Persie.

This week Rome is betrayed! We take a look at Hannibal's journey to Campania, he fails to take Naples, but luckily for him, there is a traitor in Rome's midst. This is the episode that the second city of Italy, Capua, betrays Rome and joins Hannibal.

This week we have a second episode title which is numbers, anyone able to work out what this is a reference to? This week we deal with the hostages captured by Hannibal, and I go over why Hannie's opinions on Rome's attitude towards these hostages from episode 35 are spot on.

This week we have a second introduction, as well as looking at what events after Cannae. We see Fabius and the Senate impose some order on Rome, introduce Marcellus to the story, as well as looking at Rome's darkest moment: human sacrifice within the eternal city.

This week is a departure from normality. For a week we mostly break out of the narrative, and go into historian mode. We take a look at the rise of the next generation, men like Scipio Africanus, in the days after Cannae, as well as looking at the situation at Rome.

This week we return to Sicily, another theatre of the war where the Romans are getting the better of the Carthaginians. We take a look at the Battle of Lilybaeum, as well as the Roman conquest of Malta. I also announce a new History Podcasting Cage Match: the most important event since World War Two. Featuring a guest introduction by Tom Villemaire of the History of France in English Podcast.

This week we return to Spain to catch up on what was going on in the Mediterranean elsewhere than Italy. As Gnaeus and Publius Scipio direct this theatre of the war, a very strange thing happens. The Romans do well. I also announce a new 'Who's Who?' feature on the website.

This week we are rejoined by Hannie Kirkham for Let's Talk Number 3: Marching on Rome! We get into the ins and outs of this great historical debate hearing from you, the listener! We explore all the issues crucial to this debate, such as a Germanic Rome, time travelling toasters, was Hannibal a born genius, the Lord of the Rings, the Hunger Games, rain checks, Les Miserable and Manchester City commentaries. We also announce the London Meetup in The George Inn, 8 June 2013! It's all very exciting, and we hope to see you there!

On the afternoon of Saturday 8th June 2013 I'm coming to London! I'll be hanging out in The George Inn and I'd love for you to come out and talk about history, podcasting, or anything else really. Hannie Kirkham, our guest on Let's Talk episodes, is going to be there, as is Roifield Brown of the How Jamaica Conquered the World podcast (provided he is in the country), and possibly Peter Adamson of The History Of Philosophy podcast. I'll hopefully see you there!