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00:00:00300 years before the birth of Christ, the ancient empire of Carthage ruled the Mediterranean,
00:00:13until Carthage was challenged and brutally defeated in a war by Rome.
00:00:43Put your hands in the blood.
00:00:56I swear, I swear, that for as long as I live, that for as long as I live, I will be an enemy
00:01:04of Rome.
00:01:05I will be an enemy of Rome.
00:01:10It was only a matter of time before the rivalry between Carthage and Rome would once again
00:01:16lead to war.
00:01:17A war that would seal a child's destiny as one of history's greatest leaders, Hannibal.
00:01:29I was born to exact vengeance, raised to achieve the impossible.
00:01:34I will forever be known as the greatest enemy of Rome.
00:01:41This is the story of a general who pushed his army to the limits of human endurance.
00:01:49The story of a mind so brilliant that it brought Rome to the brink of destruction.
00:02:05But above all, it's the story of how history can turn on a single decision.
00:02:12A decision that would haunt Hannibal's life, seal his fate, and determine who would rule
00:02:19the Western world for the next 600 years.
00:02:38War is all I've ever known.
00:02:40War between Carthage and Rome.
00:02:44My father had fought Rome 40 years earlier.
00:02:47Then we were defeated, humiliated, stripped of our honor and our lands.
00:02:56But under my father's command, we rose again, expanded our territories from northern Africa
00:03:01into Spain.
00:03:04Yet there could never be two masters of the Mediterranean.
00:03:18Either Rome or Carthage was destined for destruction.
00:03:23And I swore upon my father's memory, it would not be Carthage.
00:03:33Barca.
00:03:37Caius Terentius Varum, special ambassador of the Roman Senate.
00:03:43My brothers Mago and Hasdrubal.
00:03:51I think you know why I'm here.
00:03:54It's come to our attention that you've made military threats against the city of Saguntum.
00:03:58I have.
00:03:59Saguntum is an ally of Rome.
00:04:01She has our full protection.
00:04:04Saguntum is a city in Spain, not Italy.
00:04:10And yet she continues to attack Spanish allies of Carthage.
00:04:15Tell me, Caius Terentius Varum.
00:04:21If this was a city on Roman soil, what would you do?
00:04:32I trust you understand the rules of engagement.
00:04:36Make war on Saguntum, and you make war on Rome.
00:04:41Charge!
00:05:00Charge!
00:05:11Charge!
00:05:17My attack on Saguntum was brutal.
00:05:20To provoke Rome to fight me, it worked.
00:05:31Rome will not tolerate this unprovoked attack on one of our allies.
00:05:39We demand that you surrender this general responsible, Hannibal Barca,
00:05:46to Roman authority and to face Roman justice.
00:05:52On what authority do you come here to Carthage and threaten us, Fabius?
00:05:58Saguntum was rightly punished for attacking our allies.
00:06:09Charge!
00:06:15This madness will not end well.
00:06:17It's Barca who is pushing them to war.
00:06:32Here, within the folds of my toga,
00:06:36hang peace or war.
00:06:41Which shall you choose, Carthage?
00:06:44Peace or war?
00:06:48You say, Fabius.
00:06:51Let Rome decide.
00:06:58War.
00:07:01Burn it all down.
00:07:07Charge!
00:07:13The war I was born to fight had begun.
00:07:16It would be a fight for the survival of our world.
00:07:20Charge!
00:07:37In Spain, Hannibal built the army that would fight his war.
00:07:41Drawn from all over Spain and Africa,
00:07:44it was an army of different colours and creeds,
00:07:47but united by one common purpose.
00:07:50To restore honour and power to Carthage.
00:08:028,000 cavalry, 40,000 infantry.
00:08:05Slingers, lancers.
00:08:07I want the men to be prepared to move without warning.
00:08:10They're ready, my brother.
00:08:16Your Numidian cavalry, Mahabal. How fast are they?
00:08:19As fast as the wind, General.
00:08:21Don't humour me, Mahabal.
00:08:23They're faster than the Romans, sir.
00:08:30Elephants? 37.
00:08:32In addition, they're healthy animals.
00:08:35Get these children out of here.
00:08:38We're going to war.
00:08:46The Romans are sending two armies.
00:08:48One down to Sicily, from where they will hope to attack Carthage.
00:08:52The other up into southern France,
00:08:54from where they will try and attack us here in Spain.
00:08:58Except we won't be here.
00:09:01We've always talked about taking the war to the Romans,
00:09:04fighting them on his own soil.
00:09:06Well, now that time has come.
00:09:08We can't attack by ship, because Rome controls the sea.
00:09:12Instead, we will invade by land.
00:09:14We'll take the army up through Spain, into France,
00:09:17across the Rhone, and then east into Italy.
00:09:20We know the coastal roads are well defended.
00:09:23So to avoid that, we're going over the Alps.
00:09:3250,000 men across the mountains?
00:09:34It's the shortest, most direct route.
00:09:36Never in his wildest dreams would the Romans think us capable of such audacity.
00:09:41Jisco has just come back from the Alps.
00:09:43He's found us guides, a way through.
00:09:45He thinks we can do it.
00:09:47And as we all know, he's the most cautious amongst us.
00:09:51Alexander took 50,000 men from Greece, conquered the world.
00:09:57Not bad for a Greek.
00:10:00But we can do better.
00:10:05Now go.
00:10:07Brief your men.
00:10:14They don't like it.
00:10:17They don't need to.
00:10:19I don't like it.
00:10:25Well, fortunately for you, my brother, I can't take everyone.
00:10:30I need someone to stay here and defend Spain,
00:10:33make sure that our Spanish territories are safe.
00:10:36Then stay and defend them.
00:10:38You've heard my intention.
00:10:40Our father fought for eight years to secure Spain for Carthage.
00:10:44And you're going to abandon it to take such a risk?
00:10:46Of such things, great victories are made.
00:10:48And great defeats.
00:10:52We must show Rome that we will not be kicked or humiliated again.
00:10:56And I will do anything to return honour and respect back to Carthage.
00:11:02And I can only do that if I know that Spain is in safe hands.
00:11:09My brother,
00:11:12I promise you that one year from now,
00:11:15we will stand together again on the banks of the Tiber,
00:11:18in Rome, victorious.
00:11:2250,000 lives are in your hands.
00:11:27And who would lead them instead of me? You?
00:11:31They would not follow me.
00:11:33But they would follow you, brother.
00:11:36They'll follow you to their deaths.
00:11:41I was asking my people for nothing less than total sacrifice.
00:11:49To leave behind what was most precious to them,
00:11:52knowing they might never return.
00:11:57There could be no exceptions.
00:12:11Ready?
00:12:13Well, as you see, we're making progress.
00:12:18Good.
00:12:26You'll be safe in Carthage, Imelda.
00:12:28Safe.
00:12:32Your Spanish wife kept hostage in Carthage to ensure my people don't desert Rome.
00:12:37It is the normal condition of war.
00:12:40Don't pretend it's for my safety.
00:12:47We fought hard for Spain, Imelda.
00:12:50We must ensure her safety.
00:12:53Fought? You even married for Spain?
00:13:04Soon this will be over.
00:13:08I'll have my revenge on Rome.
00:13:14And we will be together again.
00:13:24In the first war with Rome,
00:13:26Carthage had fought a defensive campaign and lost.
00:13:31The Romans expected the second war to follow the same course.
00:13:37But doing what Rome least expected was to become Hannibal's trademark.
00:13:45Taking the war to Rome meant marching 90,000 miles
00:13:50Taking the war to Rome meant marching 90,000 foot soldiers,
00:13:5412,000 cavalry and 37 elephants across 1,500 miles before winter.
00:14:04We'll be at the Rome before harvest.
00:14:06Then we can re-provision before we cross the Alps.
00:14:08Providing the harvest isn't late.
00:14:10Or we are.
00:14:12I wouldn't want to be in those mountains when the snows come.
00:14:15We have time, Mahabal.
00:14:17South of the river Ebro,
00:14:19Hannibal's army travelled through lands owned by tribes loyal to Carthage.
00:14:24But once north of the river, they entered hostile territory.
00:14:44Our guides, I assume?
00:14:48Our safe passage depended on the goodwill of savage tribesmen,
00:14:53loyal to neither Carthage nor Rome.
00:14:57Only to themselves.
00:14:59Only to themselves.
00:15:15He says he likes what we've given him.
00:15:21He says the routes are difficult and without a guide we will be lost.
00:15:26He even offered to guide us through himself.
00:15:31Tell him that we're grateful to his people and that we thank him for his help.
00:15:38It was a risk we had no choice but to take.
00:15:55Few of my men had travelled so far north before.
00:15:59They were nervous.
00:16:01Unsettled.
00:16:04With good reason.
00:16:25Hannibal, what are we going to do about the deserters?
00:16:29We're leaking men.
00:16:31When we catch one, we'll have the horses pull them apart as an example.
00:16:35Spare the horses, Mahabal.
00:16:37Our numbers will swell when the northern tribes join us.
00:16:42Take cover!
00:16:44Somebody else!
00:16:46Ambush!
00:16:50That bastard has led us into a trap.
00:16:52Take cover!
00:16:55Take cover!
00:17:25Come on!
00:17:52Mahabal.
00:17:56A thieving, treacherous scum.
00:18:00That's what you get for trusting savages.
00:18:03Now how are we going to get through?
00:18:06The prisoners will show us the way.
00:18:08If they don't, kill them.
00:18:12Come on.
00:18:23Our journey had barely begun.
00:18:25Yet already the forces of nature were dividing the weak from the strong.
00:18:32I knew that only the strong would be useful to me in Italy.
00:18:41General, we have to face facts.
00:18:44It took too long to get here.
00:18:46We misjudged.
00:18:47We?
00:18:49If we winter here...
00:18:50If we winter here, the largest army ever assembled will be waiting for us on the other side.
00:18:55We're crossing the mountains.
00:19:03We're crossing the mountains.
00:19:05We're crossing the mountains.
00:19:07We're crossing the mountains.
00:19:10Romans have landed at Marseille.
00:19:12That's only three days' march from here.
00:19:14We can attack them there.
00:19:15We will attack the Romans on Roman soil.
00:19:20Winter or summer, we're going over the Alps to finish this.
00:19:29The Roman army had stopped at Marseille to resupply for their voyage to Spain.
00:19:35They had no idea Hannibal's army was so close.
00:19:39This can't be.
00:19:40It's true, General.
00:19:41He has already crossed the Pyrenees and is almost at the Rome.
00:19:45You plan to fight him in Spain?
00:19:47Perhaps he's trying to protect Spain by fighting us in France instead.
00:19:53Publius Scipio was a typical Roman general.
00:19:56Dependable, predictable.
00:19:58He simply wanted to hunt me down and finish me, if he could find me.
00:20:04Or is his target Rome?
00:20:08Maybe his target is Rome.
00:20:11And he will need to stay close to the sea to get there.
00:20:15No man would march an army inland.
00:20:18The terrain is too difficult.
00:20:22The mountains.
00:20:24And those damn Gauls.
00:20:33Tomorrow we march.
00:20:35To intercept them.
00:20:55What do you mean?
00:20:56Let go!
00:20:58Let go!
00:21:00Let go!
00:21:01What do you mean?
00:21:02Let go!
00:21:03He says they left three days ago.
00:21:05Which way did they go?
00:21:07They went east, sir. Towards the mountains.
00:21:14Do you really think he could cross the Alps?
00:21:16If he succeeds, he'll find us waiting for him at the other side.
00:21:21I am returning to Italy to raise a new army.
00:21:24We will crush him.
00:21:26Even as his homeland lies in ruins.
00:21:28We underestimate this barbarian no more.
00:21:32Publius Scipio had been outmaneuvered and outwitted by his rival.
00:21:37It was a lesson that the family of Scipio, particularly the son, would never forget.
00:21:59The End
00:22:09Just one thing stood between us and Roman soil.
00:22:15A hundred and twenty miles of snow, ice and rock.
00:22:28Hannibal entered the foothills of the Alps at the onset of winter.
00:22:35His men were used to the mild climates of Spain and North Africa.
00:22:40But they were ill-prepared to deal with the conditions they would face here.
00:22:58The Alps
00:23:14As the army moved higher to altitudes of up to 8,000 feet,
00:23:18there was no food, no shelter, no respite.
00:23:28The Alps
00:23:33To make it through, my men had to march without rest.
00:23:38If we stopped at all, we would die.
00:23:42Exposure and hunger ate through us.
00:23:52Each day, over a thousand lives were lost.
00:23:55Yet I was certain of our course.
00:24:25The End
00:24:51As Hannibal reached the summit,
00:24:53he found the route down had been blocked by a landslide.
00:25:23The Alps
00:25:33Why have we stopped?
00:25:35The way is blocked.
00:25:47Bring up firewood and the wine.
00:25:53The Alps
00:26:12Come along, come along.
00:26:17The wine laid on its side in the snow. Keep it cold.
00:26:23The Alps
00:26:53It just needs time.
00:27:23The Alps
00:27:4750,000 men marched into those mountains.
00:27:50Little more than half that marched out the other side.
00:27:58To keep Roman feet from Carthaginian soil,
00:28:01it was a sacrifice I was prepared to accept.
00:28:04The Alps
00:28:17The march from New Carthage had taken seven months.
00:28:22A total of 70,000 men had died or deserted along the way.
00:28:30A far greater challenge now lay ahead.
00:28:34The Alps
00:28:40We're through.
00:28:42Hannibal had come here to fight,
00:28:44but his weakened and demoralized forces
00:28:47had not yet come face to face with their real enemy.
00:29:01They made it through.
00:29:04But now they're all sick.
00:29:06It's the cold, General.
00:29:08They're not used to it.
00:29:11Can anything be done?
00:29:13Rest, perhaps.
00:29:15But even then, I can't be sure when they'll be ready for battle.
00:29:28This is no army.
00:29:30They just need food and rest.
00:29:32We need more men.
00:29:33We will find more men among the local tribes.
00:29:36More savages.
00:29:38Warriors, Maharevur.
00:29:40Like us, who hate Rome.
00:29:43Like us.
00:29:47I was fighting not just the Romans.
00:29:51Half of their army was drawn from alliances across Italy.
00:29:57To defeat Rome, I had to test the strength of those alliances.
00:30:02The Alps
00:30:18What are you asking me for?
00:30:20Food.
00:30:22Arms. Men.
00:30:26To fight the Romans?
00:30:27To defeat the Romans.
00:30:30Your men are half dead.
00:30:33They're starving. Exhausted.
00:30:35You speak of madness?
00:30:37No.
00:30:39Freedom.
00:30:41When your army goes, what then?
00:30:44We have stood up to Rome before.
00:30:47Do you know what the Romans do to those who fight them?
00:30:50They do not leave a living soul.
00:30:52The bodies of our people were mixed with the corpses of our dogs.
00:30:56If you join us,
00:30:58there will be no more threat from Rome.
00:31:01I swear it.
00:31:18Cowards.
00:31:20What good are cowards to us?
00:31:22They're not cowards.
00:31:25They fought the Romans.
00:31:28So what do we do?
00:31:35We turn back.
00:31:37Across the mountains.
00:31:45Or we stay and fight.
00:31:49We don't have enough men.
00:31:58No battle is won by numbers alone.
00:32:01What counts is the desire to survive.
00:32:05To prove that to my men,
00:32:07I set the prisoners a challenge.
00:32:09A fight to the death.
00:32:11The prize, their freedom.
00:32:22I wanted to show my army
00:32:24that they too faced either death
00:32:27or a fight for an even greater glory.
00:32:55This man has won his freedom
00:32:58by fighting for his life.
00:33:01I'm proud of him.
00:33:03No, you're not.
00:33:05You're a coward.
00:33:07You're a coward.
00:33:09You're a coward.
00:33:12You're a coward.
00:33:14You're a coward.
00:33:16You're a coward.
00:33:18You're a coward.
00:33:20You're a coward.
00:33:22I gave him no choice, just as our gods give us no choice but to fight for our lives.
00:33:33In the days to come, you will face the Roman army.
00:33:39His numbers are greater than ours.
00:33:41He has more food in his belly and he is better supplied.
00:33:45But the Roman soldier fights because he is ordered to.
00:33:49We fight to reclaim what is ours.
00:33:53The Romans think we are barbarians, savages.
00:34:00Perhaps some of us are.
00:34:04But when we engage on the field of battle, it will be in the sure and certain knowledge
00:34:08that bravery will bring us victory.
00:34:11Cowardice and hesitation will bring us nothing but defeat and certain death.
00:34:16We fight for life!
00:34:17We fight for justice!
00:34:46But as Hannibal rallied his forces, the army of Publius Scipio marched north to confront
00:34:59him.
00:35:00The sooner we know his position and his numbers, the sooner we can punish this barbarian for
00:35:10setting foot on Roman soil.
00:35:40How many?
00:35:44Four or five thousand light infantry and cavalry.
00:35:47Tell your men to keep out of sight behind that hill.
00:35:53Here it begins.
00:35:54I knew the Romans would think us an easy target, still weak from the long march.
00:36:16That's exactly what I wanted them to think.
00:36:46No!
00:36:47No!
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00:38:00A gift from Rome.
00:38:01So
00:38:06the cavalry didn't disappoint, General?
00:38:08They fought bravely.
00:38:09They were well led.
00:38:11They were.
00:38:12To be fair, my Roman counterpart didn't seem in the mood for a fight.
00:38:16You very nearly killed him.
00:38:18Nearly? Are you losing your edge, Mahalbal?
00:38:21He was rescued by his son.
00:38:25That's two generations to escape your blade.
00:38:29Who is this family fate smiles so kindly upon?
00:38:33Their name is Scipio.
00:38:35One of Rome's most noble families.
00:38:38I bet they still bleed the same colour as their foot soldiers.
00:38:43The father is wounded.
00:38:45Perhaps next time it'll be the son's turn.
00:38:48Then we can put a stop to these noble Scipios and their services to Rome.
00:39:13All right, General of Carthage.
00:39:15We will join you.
00:39:18You are welcome.
00:39:21What you witness today is only the beginning, my friend.
00:39:43Hannibal's first triumph on Roman soil
00:39:47sealed his alliance with the tribes of northern Italy.
00:39:55In response, Rome recalled its second army from Sicily
00:39:59to reinforce the defences of Publius Scipio.
00:40:13No.
00:40:18No.
00:40:22Longus.
00:40:24Publius.
00:40:32I understand your father owes his life to your bravery.
00:40:37And I'm glad to see my fellow consul looking in better health.
00:40:42The doctors assure me I'll make a full recovery.
00:40:45Excellent.
00:40:47It is my view we should strike at Hannibal without any further delay.
00:40:56And not allow him to enjoy his lucky victory.
00:41:00If lucky it was, Longus.
00:41:04They just came out of nowhere.
00:41:07They nearly trampled us down before we could even draw our swords.
00:41:10I'm surprised to hear you speak like this of the barbarian.
00:41:14One can learn a lot in a day, Sempronius.
00:41:19Before any further confrontations, I suggest we rest our armies for winter.
00:41:23Every hour this Carthaginian spends on Roman soil is an insult.
00:41:28We need action.
00:41:30Swift action before he finds his footing.
00:41:35Tomorrow, I march for Trebia.
00:41:44As consuls, Publius and Longus shared the highest political position in Rome.
00:41:50Each term of office lasted just one year.
00:41:55With time running out, Longus was desperate to fight.
00:42:01At Trebia, I offered battle before his army was prepared.
00:42:05And he took the bait.
00:42:0725,000 of their finest soldiers were slaughtered.
00:42:14At Trasimene, they threw the might of the Roman army against me.
00:42:19Under cover of mist, we forced them into a lake and massacred 15,000 of them.
00:42:26Some even drowned themselves rather than face our sword.
00:42:39Before, I was just a name known only to a few.
00:42:43A shadow came out of the mountains.
00:42:47Now, the shadow I cast reached across the heart of Italy.
00:42:53One more decisive victory, and this war would be over.
00:43:04Hannibal's army was now within striking distance of Rome.
00:43:09For the first time in 50 years, a military dictator was appointed.
00:43:14The man they chose was Fabius Maximus.
00:43:19May I remind you all that Hannibal's army is 100 miles from Rome?
00:43:25Then we must fight them. Fight them until we destroy them.
00:43:29Or until we are destroyed.
00:43:32Are you questioning, sir, the honour and the courage of the people of Rome?
00:43:37These are the facts.
00:43:40Trebia cost us 20,000 lives.
00:43:44We lost a consul and 15,000 soldiers at Trasimene.
00:43:49We are losing.
00:43:52And if we continue along the path of direct confrontation, Rome will be destroyed.
00:44:03Now is the time to be ruthless.
00:44:08And not just with our enemy, but with ourselves.
00:44:14To face our failures, to reconsider our strategy.
00:44:18What is your proposal, Fabius?
00:44:22That we starve him of the one thing he thrives on.
00:44:27Battle.
00:44:29The best way to fight Hannibal is not to fight him at all.
00:44:33Oh, he has a large army.
00:44:36But it is made up of many peoples who can be easily divided
00:44:41by harassment of their supply lines,
00:44:44by starvation of his troops.
00:44:47In short, to kick his army in the stomach.
00:44:55These are the tactics of cowards, not soldiers.
00:44:59Would you have the great Roman army adopt the tactics of the savage?
00:45:04I would have the great Roman army do anything
00:45:08to defeat this Hannibal once and for all.
00:45:17On the journey south, illness had eaten into me in a way that no enemy could.
00:45:25Do they really think they can outfight us this way?
00:45:28They know a hungry army is a weak army.
00:45:32We have to find a way to draw them in for an attack.
00:45:35Where's the damn healer?
00:45:37He's on his way, my brother.
00:45:39We don't need a battlefield to defeat these Romans.
00:45:42I want their houses burned to the ground, their crops, their fields,
00:45:46everything that makes the Roman feel safe.
00:45:48I want it reduced to ash.
00:45:50Except Fabius.
00:45:53I want his property to remain untouched.
00:45:57Then let's see how secure he feels
00:46:00once those around him start to lose everything.
00:46:06THUNDER CRASHES
00:46:17So, Fabius, how would you say your strategy is progressing?
00:46:24He is trying to provoke you. Don't let him.
00:46:28It's not your land going up in smoke.
00:46:35THUD
00:46:45The infection is very deep.
00:46:47Can anything be done?
00:46:51I'm sorry.
00:46:53Then leave me.
00:46:55Get out!
00:46:59Will I lose it?
00:47:01Yes.
00:47:03I am sorry.
00:47:07They may take it as an ill omen.
00:47:12It's not an ill omen.
00:47:14Of course not.
00:47:25THUNDER CRASHES
00:47:29Do you understand what it means to be a citizen of Rome, Scipio?
00:47:34It means whoever you are, wherever you go,
00:47:37people know that if you're attacked or mistreated,
00:47:41the whole might of Rome can be brought to bear in your defence.
00:47:45It is a unique privilege.
00:47:47I understand.
00:47:50This barbarian sets an example to every other half-breed and savage
00:47:54that Rome is to be trifled with.
00:47:58I speak out of turn.
00:48:00You're loyal to Fabius.
00:48:02Fabius is my commanding officer.
00:48:05Whoever held that rank would command my loyalty.
00:48:08Fabius humiliates Rome.
00:48:12My friend lacks your discipline, Scipio. Please forgive his outburst.
00:48:16He does...
00:48:18perhaps raise an interesting point, though.
00:48:22But feel free to speak plainly, Scipio.
00:48:25You're among friends here.
00:48:31Our present tactics make us look weak to our friends and allies.
00:48:34Hannibal is laughing at us.
00:48:39This is not the way Rome should conduct itself.
00:48:42So...
00:48:44if circumstances were...
00:48:47So...
00:48:49if circumstances were...
00:48:52somehow to change,
00:48:54you would be in favour of engaging the barbarians?
00:48:57I would.
00:48:59Under the right leadership.
00:49:02Well, my friend,
00:49:04perhaps the way of Fabius will not be the way of Rome for much longer.
00:49:09Fabius's dictatorship is coming to an end.
00:49:12I myself am standing for consul.
00:49:15And then perhaps we shall find another way of dealing with our problem.
00:49:24Within six months, Varro's ambition was realised
00:49:28and he was elected as consul.
00:49:31The dictatorship of Fabius came to an end
00:49:34and so did his policy of refusing to engage Hannibal in battle.
00:49:39Scipio was appointed to the rank of tribune in the new regime.
00:49:45He joined the largest army Rome had ever put in the field
00:49:49and marched to confront Hannibal.
00:50:16The ensuing battle would be one of the bloodiest ever fought.
00:50:25It looks like eight legions.
00:50:2885,000 men.
00:50:32Are you beginning to miss Fabius, Giscard?
00:50:3585,000.
00:50:39It's a lot of men.
00:50:4185,000.
00:50:45It's the largest army Rome has ever assembled.
00:50:47They've come as one. We'll kill them as one.
00:50:49They're well trained. They'll be hard to break.
00:50:51Discipline can be a flaw as well as a virtue.
00:50:53The Romans are trained to fight in one way only,
00:50:55which makes them predictable.
00:50:57We'll present them with the unexpected
00:50:59and watch them fall apart.
00:51:02Giscard.
00:51:06You're afraid.
00:51:08Of course not.
00:51:10Don't be.
00:51:12There are 80,000 Romans out there.
00:51:16But not one of them is called Giscard.
00:51:32This is ideal.
00:51:35We'll pitch our forces there, on that bank.
00:51:38We'll be protected by the river on our right and the hills on our left.
00:51:41There'll be no chance of a surprise attack.
00:51:44And this cavalry won't be able to get round behind us.
00:51:47I wouldn't be so sure.
00:51:49Paulus, we're almost twice his number.
00:51:52We'll condense our troops into a mass of sword and shield
00:51:55and smash through the centre of his fleet.
00:51:57We'll condense our troops into a mass of sword and shield
00:52:00and smash through the centre of his front line.
00:52:03Then we'll see what this barbarian is really made of.
00:52:07My only worry is whether he'll actually fight.
00:52:12Oh, he'll fight.
00:52:24We're outnumbered.
00:52:26And the Romans have chosen a battlefield that plays to the strengths of its infantry.
00:52:30It's a wise choice.
00:52:32But it's not as wise as they think.
00:52:35Our forces will be arranged like this.
00:52:37Like the outside of a bow.
00:52:40Strong, yet flexible.
00:52:46Mago, you will command this line.
00:52:57I can't emphasise enough its importance to this battle.
00:53:02The Romans will see our battle formation, but they will not fear us.
00:53:08They will have the confidence that comes only with greater numbers.
00:53:12And we will let them believe.
00:53:20Remember, their greatest strength can also be their greatest weakness.
00:53:27Just before our lines engage, I want you, Mahavo, to charge their cavalry.
00:53:32Advance!
00:53:36When they see our cavalry advance, they will respond.
00:53:40Whatever your losses, you must drive them back and sow complete confusion.
00:53:52Keep advancing!
00:53:57Keep advancing!
00:54:08We will suffer terrible losses as we press home the attack, but you must drive them back.
00:54:27Keep advancing!
00:54:35Romans will respond by throwing forward another wave of infantry.
00:54:38They have superior numbers and they will use them.
00:54:40Legions of Rome!
00:54:43To glory!
00:54:56To glory!
00:55:16Be patient, my brother, and give your ground slowly.
00:55:27To glory!
00:55:50When your line breaks, which it must, the Romans will be sucked in.
00:55:53They'll throw forward more and more troops.
00:55:56Forward there is none!
00:56:07At this point, the Romans will think they have won.
00:56:18Let them taste victory.
00:56:24Power!
00:56:28Before we mobilize our hidden reserves to swing around and block them off on either flank.
00:56:33Forward!
00:56:51They will be surrounded on three sides.
00:56:54They will have nowhere to go but backwards.
00:57:03Forward!
00:57:05Forward!
00:57:07Forward!
00:57:33You'll return with your cavalry and cut them off.
00:57:37There will be no mercy.
00:58:07Forward!
00:58:37Forward!
00:59:03It was the greatest battlefield victory of all time.
00:59:07Sixty thousand Romans perished at our sword.
00:59:11Cream of military and political leadership completely wiped out in a single day.
00:59:16A victory greater than that of Alexander or any hero who walked this earth before me.
00:59:23And yet, I felt no sense of triumph.
00:59:38Can I mark the darkest moment in the history of the Roman Republic?
00:59:48In a matter of hours, Hannibal had all but obliterated Rome and everything it represented.
00:59:56His next move would dictate the outcome of the war and the course of history.
01:00:08We should move soon.
01:00:11To Rome.
01:00:13My men could ride before dawn.
01:00:17We're not going to Rome.
01:00:19What?
01:00:20It's over. We've won.
01:00:22No.
01:00:23Not until Rome is destroyed, ripped apart, annihilated.
01:00:29We're not going to Rome.
01:00:31What?
01:00:32It's over. We've won.
01:00:34Destroyed, ripped apart, annihilated.
01:00:38Why?
01:00:40For what?
01:00:41We're not savages.
01:00:42Hannibal!
01:00:45Rome is on its knees.
01:00:47We don't need to tear apart the city just to prove we've won.
01:00:53We're not going any farther, Marble.
01:00:58It's over.
01:01:00So the gods haven't given everything to one man.
01:01:05You know how to win, Hannibal.
01:01:08But you don't know how to use a victory.
01:01:11What do you propose?
01:01:18We shall present Rome with terms for their surrender.
01:01:29No.
01:01:34Cannae was Hannibal's third major battle victory on Roman soil.
01:01:40By the terms of ancient warfare,
01:01:42it should have secured his ultimate victory over Rome.
01:01:48But Rome wasn't ready to accept defeat.
01:01:55I shan't recriminate.
01:01:59I shan't lay blame.
01:02:03But I shall say this.
01:02:06If Rome is to survive, we need a new army. Now.
01:02:13I will lower the age of enrolment to 17
01:02:16and reduce the property qualifications for military service.
01:02:21Then I'll go further.
01:02:23I'm declaring an amnesty to all criminals and slaves
01:02:26willing to fight under the Roman standard.
01:02:30We will find soldiers anywhere we can.
01:02:34We will use whatever resources we have.
01:02:36And if that means stripping the temples of weapons and armour,
01:02:40those we have dedicated to the gods,
01:02:42then so be it.
01:02:43That is sacrilege.
01:02:45It is sense.
01:02:46The gods do not need those weapons.
01:02:48We do.
01:02:53No more pitched battles.
01:02:56No more grand gestures.
01:03:00We will grind the barbarian down, little by little,
01:03:04day by day, until he is but dust.
01:03:10As I advised us to do right from the start.
01:03:15Arrogance and pride have brought us to where we are today.
01:03:20But this is not a fight about honour,
01:03:22or glory,
01:03:24or promotion.
01:03:26This is a fight to the death for the survival of Rome.
01:03:34She was supposed to capitulate.
01:03:37Do you seriously expect surrender from Rome?
01:03:44We wander this country at will.
01:03:48We destroy whatever force they set against us.
01:03:50We've defeated them in battle three times.
01:03:52The Romans cannot go on producing new troops forever,
01:03:54nor raising new leaders overnight.
01:03:56By all the rules and conventions of war,
01:03:58she shall be finished.
01:03:59Did we play by the rules?
01:04:07Brother,
01:04:09I want you to return to Carthage.
01:04:12Why?
01:04:13To persuade the Senate to send more men,
01:04:15so we can finish the job we started.
01:04:18We're going to take Italy city by city,
01:04:21until Rome is so completely surrounded by hostile territory
01:04:25that they will be forced to surrender.
01:04:49These are the rings
01:04:52of Roman senators
01:04:55who've already fallen to our sword.
01:05:00They are the symbols
01:05:02of our many victories over Rome.
01:05:08What we need now
01:05:11is more men,
01:05:14so that we can finish this war
01:05:16once and for all.
01:05:19Well, Megobarca,
01:05:22if the Romans are very nearly vanquished
01:05:24by your brother's heroic forces,
01:05:26why does he now seek our help?
01:05:28With fresh supplies and more men,
01:05:32this campaign would be over.
01:05:33I seem to recall that your brother assured us
01:05:35that his conquest would be a quick affair.
01:05:38How long has it been now?
01:05:41Three years.
01:05:44Three years.
01:05:46And what have you to show for it?
01:05:50This campaign is over, my friend.
01:05:53Hannibal's army in Italy
01:05:54will receive no further assistance from this Senate.
01:05:59And furthermore, I move
01:06:00that you, Megobarca,
01:06:03be appointed to command those reinforcements
01:06:06that we are dispatching to Spain.
01:06:14We won,
01:06:16and won,
01:06:18and won again.
01:06:20But they sent troops and supplies
01:06:23anywhere.
01:06:25But to Hannibal...
01:06:29His enemies are more powerful.
01:06:32The jealousy against him is stronger than ever.
01:06:38I have no choice.
01:06:40Stronger than ever.
01:06:52As soon as the situation stabilizes in Spain,
01:06:54I will return to Hannibal
01:06:57and take with me all the troops I can.
01:06:59If they are ready to abandon him because of his success,
01:07:02what will they do if he really fails?
01:07:07Pray that he does not fail.
01:07:10Amen.
01:07:23Without reinforcements,
01:07:25Hannibal's army couldn't force Rome into battle.
01:07:29For the next seven years,
01:07:31he was left isolated.
01:07:40Rome grew stronger
01:07:42and emerged with a plan to try to finish the war with Hannibal.
01:07:47So...
01:07:49what is it that cannot wait until tomorrow, Scipio?
01:07:52I have a proposal.
01:07:54And so I gather.
01:07:56We've been fighting Hannibal for nine years,
01:07:59and you have given Rome a shield which the enemy cannot seem to break.
01:08:02You have held Hannibal...
01:08:03Yes, yes. What's your point?
01:08:06Victory comes not by the shield,
01:08:10but at the point of a sword.
01:08:15Those are very pretty words, Scipio.
01:08:17But we made exactly the same mistake before,
01:08:20and it brought us to the edge of destruction.
01:08:22Only a fool would make the same mistake twice.
01:08:26I say we keep the shield you have given us,
01:08:30but we take an invasion force to Spain.
01:08:34While Hannibal is occupied here,
01:08:36we'll rout the Carthaginians there.
01:08:39It's exactly what he did to us.
01:08:42And who will lead this new army?
01:08:49Aren't you a little young to lead an army under the standard of Rome?
01:08:52You know the rules.
01:08:53And you, Fabius, know how to break them.
01:08:57I am sorry, Scipio.
01:09:00I don't think for one moment Rome would take the risk.
01:09:04But Fabius underestimated Rome's desire
01:09:07to resolve the war with Hannibal.
01:09:15And having observed Hannibal for more than ten years,
01:09:18Scipio was about to prove just how much he'd learned.
01:09:26We must always ask ourselves,
01:09:29what does the enemy least expect?
01:09:32And then we should do it.
01:09:38His brothers will expect us to engage them in open battle,
01:09:41as we have always done.
01:09:44But we shall not.
01:09:47Instead, we shall do exactly what Hannibal failed to do in Italy.
01:09:52We'll go straight for their capital.
01:09:55New Carthage is our goal.
01:10:00We will lure their defences away and ambush them.
01:10:03Then we shall sack the city.
01:10:07There will be no mercy.
01:10:30While Scipio ransacked Spain,
01:10:32the one man who might have mounted a successful defence
01:10:36was under order to remain in Italy, powerless to help.
01:10:49General, I do not see good portents in the entrails of this beast.
01:10:53Well, look harder.
01:10:56I'm getting tired of your constant gloom.
01:10:59You would not have me lie to you, General.
01:11:01I'd have you cut open and put on this tray if it would help me, priest.
01:11:05Why disbelieve the guts?
01:11:10The war is no longer here.
01:11:14Scipio is in Spain, winning victory after victory
01:11:18over our territories while we rot here.
01:11:24Is this how it all ends, Hannibal?
01:11:28I'll summon my brother.
01:11:30Hasdrubal?
01:11:31He doubted me, as do you.
01:11:34But together we can make a stand against Rome and the Senate will never...
01:11:38Stand the Senate!
01:11:40I'll not be dictated to by them.
01:11:42I'll not be told what I may or may not do by cowards.
01:11:49I hadn't seen my brother Hasdrubal for almost eleven years.
01:11:53I requested that he brought his army from Spain to reinforce me.
01:11:57And he sent word that he was on his way.
01:12:06My hope soared, because together I knew we'd be invincible.
01:12:24The problem was, so did Fabius.
01:12:30His two armies plan to meet in Umbria.
01:12:34Good.
01:12:36Let us prepare to welcome him.
01:12:53Steady, men! Steady!
01:13:24No!
01:13:29Fifty thousand lives are in your hands.
01:13:31They would follow you, brother.
01:13:32Is this how it all ends, Hannibal?
01:13:35They'll follow you to their deaths.
01:13:36I will be an enemy of Rome.
01:13:45With Hasdrubal's death, hopes of victory on Roman soil slipped away from Hannibal.
01:13:53Scipio returned to Rome triumphant from his Spanish campaign.
01:13:57Now he was fired with even greater ambition.
01:14:04Roman senators, I thank you.
01:14:08But there is more glory to be had.
01:14:13The conquest of Spain alone will not win us this war.
01:14:19To rid our country of the Carthaginian invader,
01:14:25we must take the fight to Africa.
01:14:31To Carthage itself.
01:14:35Strike Carthage, and they will call Hannibal back to protect his homeland.
01:14:42And on African soil, I will defeat him!
01:14:49Hannibal! Hannibal! Hannibal!
01:14:59Just as Hannibal had once threatened the might of Rome,
01:15:02now Scipio stood poised to crush Carthage.
01:15:09We've faced the greatest crisis in the last 40 years,
01:15:13when the enemy treads on our soil
01:15:16and threatens our very existence.
01:15:20All measures must now be taken to ensure the security of the homeland.
01:15:28Should we not then recall Hannibal Barca from Italy?
01:15:33It is due in no small measure to Hannibal Barca that we find ourselves in this predicament.
01:15:38Had he not ventured on this fool's errand in Italy,
01:15:42had he not deprived Spain of its defences and given comfort to our enemy!
01:15:51The council's decision not to recall Hannibal was a disaster.
01:15:58In a crushing defeat, the Carthaginian forces were destroyed at the Battle of Great Plains.
01:16:12THE BATTLE OF GREAT PLAINS
01:16:23Hannibal remained in exile for another year,
01:16:26until he was finally recalled to defend Carthage
01:16:30and save the reputations of the politicians who had betrayed him.
01:16:37But the odds were against him from the start.
01:16:42We're losing our allies to Rome.
01:16:44Scipio is not stupid.
01:16:46He's using exactly the same tactics we used on him.
01:16:49Sapping our strength by stealing our allies.
01:16:52Those allies include Numidian cavalry.
01:16:56How many?
01:16:58Four thousand.
01:17:03So we're outnumbered in cavalry.
01:17:05Our one true advantage.
01:17:07All we have is an army of raw, untrained recruits.
01:17:11We still have you, General.
01:17:13And I have you, and by the gods, I'll need you.
01:17:18Scipio's pitched at Zama.
01:17:21Yes.
01:17:23I'll need to know his exact numbers and disposition.
01:17:28Soon.
01:17:37THE BATTLE OF GREAT PLAINS
01:17:42GREAT PLAINS
01:18:05These beasts are young, General.
01:18:07They'll need training.
01:18:10Well, you've never let me down yet, Vandekar.
01:18:12General.
01:18:14We thought we were dead, General.
01:18:16But...
01:18:17But they just showed us around the camp.
01:18:21They showed you around the camp?
01:18:24We were taken around by Scipio.
01:18:28By Scipio himself.
01:18:30A Scipio.
01:18:32We thought we were a dead man.
01:18:35We thought they'd kill us.
01:18:37But he...
01:18:39The General, he just showed us around the camp.
01:18:42What did he show you?
01:18:44Everything.
01:18:45His Numidian cavalry?
01:18:47Yes.
01:18:48That's what the Romans showed us first.
01:18:52I'm sure he did.
01:18:55I'm sorry, General.
01:18:57You did what you were sent to do. I can ask nothing more.
01:19:01You can go back to your units.
01:19:04What is he trying to do?
01:19:06Is he trying to warn us off or get us to fight?
01:19:11I don't know.
01:19:14I want to talk to him.
01:19:26Hannibal and Scipio came face to face for the first time
01:19:30on the plains of Zama.
01:20:01This battle can serve no purpose, Scipio.
01:20:07I've always sought to understand you.
01:20:10To understand a mind that takes such risks.
01:20:14So it comes as some surprise to hear of Hannibal Barca
01:20:17running from a fight.
01:20:20Rome won't believe it.
01:20:31Too many people have died already.
01:20:34A pointless slaughter of fine men on both sides can be avoided.
01:20:39No.
01:20:41If there's one thing I've learned, it is that a war must be finished.
01:20:45Utterly.
01:20:47I have you to thank for that lesson.
01:20:49You have me to thank for everything you have become, Scipio.
01:20:53Were it not for me, I wonder...
01:20:56Would you even command an army?
01:20:58Would you even command an army at all?
01:21:02I made you.
01:21:03You caused me to be.
01:21:06It's not the same thing.
01:21:12If you had taken Rome when its doors were open to you,
01:21:14we wouldn't be standing here now.
01:21:17You didn't finish it then, so I finish it now.
01:21:22Don't make this personal.
01:21:24This was personal from the moment you set foot on Roman soil.
01:21:29And tomorrow, we shall decide the course of our history.
01:21:49The battle took place at Zama, 100 miles south of Carthage.
01:21:54In his 16-year campaign against Rome, Hannibal hadn't lost a single battle.
01:22:24Hannibal
01:22:45Hannibal assembled a force of 50,000 men,
01:22:48outnumbering Scipio's army of 30,000.
01:22:53His 80 war elephants were primed to deliver a single charge
01:22:57at the Roman infantry.
01:23:23Hannibal
01:23:31But Scipio anticipated Hannibal.
01:23:34At the last moment, as the elephants charged,
01:23:37great channels opened in the Roman lines,
01:23:40drawing the beasts into corridors of death.
01:23:52Hannibal
01:23:58The elephants that survived turned and fled,
01:24:01stampeding their own men.
01:24:10Each of my Roman enemies revealed a weakness that I could exploit.
01:24:14I had outwitted, outfought, and outlasted all of them.
01:24:19But not Scipio.
01:24:21Scipio had imitated my strategy, copied my tactics,
01:24:25and now I saw just how well he understood me.
01:24:31He ordered the cavalry he had taken from me to seal our fate,
01:24:35just as we had done to them at Canna.
01:24:39At Zama, he used everything he'd learned from me to destroy me.
01:24:46General! You've got to save yourself!
01:24:49You've got to save yourself!
01:24:51When you're alive, you will never feel safe!
01:24:53Nor can you ever be without hope!
01:24:55Save yourself, General!
01:25:03Hannibal fled from Zama.
01:25:07The war was over.
01:25:09Rome had won.
01:25:16But as long as Hannibal was alive, Rome could not rest.
01:25:25They finally tracked him down to Bithynia, in northern Turkey.
01:25:46But Hannibal would never give Rome the satisfaction of killing him.
01:26:02And now, the time has come to rid the Romans of this hated old man.
01:26:08To rid the Romans of this hated old man.
01:26:13The Battle of Bithynia
01:26:34Whoa.
01:26:37Pray that he does not fail.
01:26:44If you had taken Rome when its doors were open to you, we wouldn't be standing here now.
01:27:07Is that all of it?
01:27:09Yes, General.
01:27:15I only wrote what he told me. I didn't...
01:27:18I know.
01:27:22But if anyone writes the story of that man...
01:27:27It shall be the Romans.
01:27:30Hannibal's war brought Rome to the brink of destruction.
01:27:34But by not taking Rome, after the Battle of Cannae,
01:27:39he failed to deliver the final, decisive blow.
01:27:44His threat shocked Rome into action.
01:27:48Eventually, they emerged as the force that would one day conquer not just Carthage,
01:27:55but much of the known world.
01:27:58Even after his suicide, Hannibal lived on in the Roman mind.
01:28:03A painful memory.
01:28:05A dark presence.
01:28:07Rome's worst nightmare.
01:28:33To be continued...