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- [Narrator] This video was
made possible by Incogni.

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Use code oversimplified in the link below

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00:00:05,910 --> 00:00:10,199
for an exclusive 60% off
an annual Incogni plan.

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Also, make sure to grab
our Roman Consul Youtooz

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before it's too late.

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Don't make me mention it a third time,

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or I'll you know what.

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(ominous music)

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(dramatic music)

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Hannibal's army

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had survived its famous
crossing of the Alps,

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and he was now in Italy.

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With Hannibal's arrival,
the Roman Consul Scipio

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hit the ground running.

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In typical Roman fashion
he marched his army

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straight at the enemy, and
Hannibal began preparing

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for his first combat with
Rome on Italian soil.

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Before the battle, Hannibal
wanted to inspire his men,

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so he staged a gladiatorial death match

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between captured Celt prisoners

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with the winner getting
prizes and freedom.

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He then explained that the
whole thing was a metaphor.

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"A metaphor, for what?"

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"You, these warriors are you.

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You're trapped in Italy with no escape.

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Your only choice now is to fight and win."

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"What about the dead guy?"

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"That's you if you don't win."

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"And the prizes?"

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"That's what you stand
to gain by winning."

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"And the fact that I've soiled myself

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in all this excitement?"

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"That, no, that's not
part of the metaphor."

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"Okay."

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Hannibal also smashed
in the head of a goat,

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again for inspiration.

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Scipio, on the other hand,
now arriving in the area,

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opted for the more classic route

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of a rousing pre-battle speech.

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"Look at the men.

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Weak, starved by the Alps,

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while we are the strongest
military in the world.

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This will be easy.

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Like 10,000 horse-sized ducks
fighting a baby sized baby.

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It'll be like Mike Tyson in
his prime, kicking a baby.

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A tug of war between 10
sumo wrestlers and, uh,

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help me out here, Ralph."

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"A baby, sir."

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"Yes, yes, that's it, a baby.

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The point is, there is
absolutely no possible way

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we could lose a battle this easy.

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So if everybody's ready
on my mark, charge."

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(Roman soldiers yelling)

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(Roman soldiers screaming)

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The Battle of Ticinus was over

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almost as soon as it had begun,

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as the Romans found themselves
completely outmatched

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by Hannibal's famed lightning
fast Numidian cavalry,

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a key element in Hannibal's devastating

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double envelopment tactics.

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In the chaos, Scipio was wounded.

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Thankfully, according
to some ancient writers,

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his handsome 17-year-old
son, Scipio the Younger,

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saw his father fall.

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Scipio the Younger,
supposedly saved his father,

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and in the process earned
himself a lot of daddy's kisses.

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The Romans ended up fleeing the area,

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destroying the bridge
behind them as they went.

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For a nation so overtly
confident in victory,

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believing Hannibal to be an easy kill,

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the Romans found themselves running away

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with their tail between their legs.

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It was humiliating.

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And do you know who thought so as well?

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The Celts.

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They began flocking to Hannibal's
side just as he had hoped.

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Even Celtic troops fighting
for Rome in the Roman camp

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began to reconsider.

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"Man, I'm thinking we should
try to join Hannibal."

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"I hear you, maybe we
should bring him a gift.

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What do you think he'd like?"

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"Hmm,

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oh, I know."

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"Hey, Hannibal, we wanna join your side

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and we brought you a present."

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"A gift for me?

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I hope it's Roman heads."

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Oh, please, oh, please be Roman heads.

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How did you know?"

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Running away from Hannibal
was humiliating enough,

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but having dozens of Romans
beheaded in the night.

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Now that's embarrassing.

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Ticinus had been a
relatively small battle,

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but the psychological impact
it had early on was huge.

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And it was only just a taste

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of what Hannibal was capable of.

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Despite the shocking
initial loss, however,

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Rome still didn't seem to
fully understand the danger

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posed by the monster now
loose in their territory.

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The Senate was full of excuses.

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"It's those traitorous
Celts, that's why we lost.

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"Yeah, and it was a cavalry battle,

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wait until Hannibal faces
our almighty legions."

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"And our Consul was bald,

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once he faces our other
fully follicled Consul

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then he'll really pee his pants."

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That other Consul, Longus

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had been in the south all this time,

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preparing to invade Africa.

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He had seen some success
even capturing Malta,

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but then he heard the news,

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"Hannibal's in Italy, and
I'm being ordered home.

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But, but I was gonna be the big boy.

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I was gonna invade
Carthage and win the war."

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"Well, you can be a big boy at home."

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"No."

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"Does somebody need a nap, sir?"

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"No, no, no!"

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And so Longus brought his army
on the long journey north,

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when he arrived in the area

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to decisively neutralize Hannibal.

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The two Consuls joined
their forces together,

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creating a double consular army.

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But the two Consuls weren't
exactly on the same page,

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"Having a nice rest there, old man?"

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"I'm wounded, Longus."

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"Pathetic."

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"You don't understand.

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He's more dangerous than we thought."

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"Maybe for you, whoops."

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"Listen, we can't just march

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straight at him like we normally do.

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We need to train our
man through the winter

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and we'll try again in spring."

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"Sorry, I don't take advice
from a bowling bowl."

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"H-hey, I'll kick your ass, Longus."

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"Any day now."

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"I'm coming, just you wait."

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"Oh, Scipio, you feeble old man."

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(Longus screeches)

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Scipio was apparently quite cautious

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after his recent encounter with Hannibal,

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while Longus, typically Roman,

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couldn't wait to give Hannibal a swirly.

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So who would get their way?

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Well, when two Consuls
joined their forces,

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it turned out the Romans had
an interesting system in place.

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They would each take turns
being the one in charge.

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Consul one would lead one
day, then Consul two the next,

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back and forth, back and forth.

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As you can imagine, when the
two Consuls didn't agree,

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things didn't go so well.

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In this case, due to Scipio's injury,

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Longus probably assumed even
more command than normal.

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Hannibal had Celtic
spies in the Roman camp.

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He fully understood the Roman system

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and Longus's hotheaded nature,

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and he knew he could exploit it.

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"For goodness sake."

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"What's wrong, sir?"

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"I'm trying to order some pizza,

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but I keep getting fed
all these personalized ads

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about being a hothead.

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I'm not a hothead, am I?"

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"No, sir."

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"Look at this, butt insurance?

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Who would buy butt insurance?"

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"Yeah, that sounds really stupid."

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"Sir, it seems like a lot of data brokers

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have collected data on you.

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They could sell that data to Hannibal."

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"What?"

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"But don't worry because
you can get rid of that data

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with today's wonderful sponsor, Incogni."

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"Hooray."

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I've been getting at you for some time

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But you're a nimwit, aren't you?

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You didn't do it, did you?

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Typical, and now would you look at that?

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Tons of data brokers have collected

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a heck of a lot of your personal data

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and might sell it to third
parties like advertisers

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or insurance companies
without you even knowing.

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Ever wonder where Sally from
the butt insurance company

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got your name, number, address,
social security number,

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and favorite color from,
probably a dirty data broker.

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We could painstakingly contact

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the hundreds of brokers that have our data

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and politely ask them to delete it.

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That process would only
take the average human

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about 3000 years, and
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I was shocked to find

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how many data brokers Incogni had tracked

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potentially selling my data.

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206
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And as always, you'll be
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207
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So thank you.

208
00:08:42,179 --> 00:08:43,859
Now, where were we?

209
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Oh yeah, Roman heads, a double
consular army and a hothead.

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Hannibal needed to keep
smashing the Romans in battle

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in order to maintain the
loyalty of the Celts.

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And so he was eager to
fight another battle.

213
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The combined Roman force
possibly outnumbered him.

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So he carefully crafted a clever trap,

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and he made sure to spring it,

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while Longus was still in charge.

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The plan began with his army
getting an early night's sleep.

218
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"All right, boys, time for lights out."

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(Carthaginian soldiers whine)

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"Sorry, but we got a big day ahead of us.

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Tomorrow we're gonna massacre the Romans."

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(Carthaginian soldiers cheer)

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"Goodnight boys, dream of revenge."

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(door clicks)

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"Gorzog, send out the cavalry."

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(dramatic music)

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That night, Hannibal's Numidian cavalry

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made their way over to the Roman camp

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arriving just before dawn.

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"Hey, Romans, wakey, wakey."

231
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"What, what the, what's going on?"

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"Hey, Longus, your butt
smells like a butt."

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"It does not.

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Scipio, awaken the troops."

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"Longus, these playground insults

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are clearly meant to lure you out."

237
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"Well, it's working, send out the troops."

238
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"Longus, it's clearly a trap."

239
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"And I'm falling for it,
send out the troops."

240
00:10:02,527 --> 00:10:05,227
"Hey guys, wake up, you're
heading out for battle."

241
00:10:05,226 --> 00:10:06,389
"What?

242
00:10:06,389 --> 00:10:07,596
But we haven't had breakfast."

243
00:10:07,596 --> 00:10:09,846
"We're skipping breakfast."

244
00:10:09,846 --> 00:10:11,340
"I don't think you can do that."

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As the Romans hurried out of camp,

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the Numidians began luring them back

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to the Carthaginian camp,
where these gentle angels

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were just awakening from their slumber.

249
00:10:21,636 --> 00:10:24,791
"Eat up boys we're having pancakes."

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00:10:24,792 --> 00:10:26,820
(Carthaginian soldiers cheer)

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00:10:26,820 --> 00:10:27,930
While the Carthaginians

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were enjoying their hearty breakfast.

253
00:10:29,850 --> 00:10:33,037
The starving Romans
were still on their way.

254
00:10:33,037 --> 00:10:35,370
"Hurry up, we have to
catch those Numidians.

255
00:10:35,370 --> 00:10:37,356
Hey, why have you stopped marching?"

256
00:10:37,356 --> 00:10:40,476
"Longus, there's a freezing
river in front of us."

257
00:10:40,476 --> 00:10:44,371
"Well get your gluteus
maximus in the water."

258
00:10:44,371 --> 00:10:47,346
(Roman soldiers yelling)

259
00:10:47,346 --> 00:10:49,649
"All right, boys, time to lather up.

260
00:10:49,649 --> 00:10:51,634
This oil will insulate you from the cold.

261
00:10:51,634 --> 00:10:53,802
It also smells like lavender."

262
00:10:53,802 --> 00:10:55,567
(Carthaginian soldiers hum)

263
00:10:55,567 --> 00:10:59,144
"There's the Carthaginian
camp, get ready to fight men."

264
00:10:59,144 --> 00:11:02,100
"Sir, I take the water from the river

265
00:11:02,100 --> 00:11:03,513
is beginning to ice over.

266
00:11:04,620 --> 00:11:05,947
I can't move."

267
00:11:05,947 --> 00:11:08,460
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry, you
thought war would be fun.

268
00:11:08,460 --> 00:11:10,139
Sitting around a nice hot campfire

269
00:11:10,139 --> 00:11:11,759
playing truth or dare with your friends?

270
00:11:11,759 --> 00:11:13,777
Welcome to the real world."

271
00:11:13,777 --> 00:11:14,977
"Truth."

272
00:11:14,976 --> 00:11:16,016
"Who do you like?"

273
00:11:16,956 --> 00:11:17,789
"Sharon."

274
00:11:17,789 --> 00:11:18,622
"Ew."

275
00:11:20,136 --> 00:11:22,909
"Hey, look, guys, the Romans are here."

276
00:11:22,909 --> 00:11:25,919
(Roman soldiers shivering)

277
00:11:25,919 --> 00:11:28,019
Having perfectly orchestrated events

278
00:11:28,019 --> 00:11:30,840
so that his enemy was
cold, tired, and hungry,

279
00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,050
while his men were well
rested and covered in oil.

280
00:11:34,049 --> 00:11:36,240
When the two sides engaged one another,

281
00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,570
the Romans were in no condition to fight.

282
00:11:39,570 --> 00:11:41,430
And the cherry on top?

283
00:11:41,429 --> 00:11:43,799
The previous night, Hannibal had sent out

284
00:11:43,799 --> 00:11:45,839
an elite force of men led by his brother

285
00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:47,759
to go and hide behind a bush.

286
00:11:47,759 --> 00:11:51,809
They suddenly sprung out
encircling the exhausted Romans

287
00:11:51,809 --> 00:11:54,149
who were then cut to pieces.

288
00:11:54,149 --> 00:11:56,669
Once again, Hannibal's superior cavalry

289
00:11:56,669 --> 00:12:00,419
and double envelopment tactics
had flummoxed the Romans.

290
00:12:00,419 --> 00:12:03,719
But the key word at Trebia was control.

291
00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,910
Hannibal used his intel on the enemy

292
00:12:05,909 --> 00:12:07,889
and the environment of the battlefield

293
00:12:07,889 --> 00:12:10,710
to carefully control the
conditions of battle,

294
00:12:10,710 --> 00:12:13,200
creating lots of little
advantages for himself

295
00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,450
that paved the way to success.

296
00:12:15,450 --> 00:12:17,610
And concealing troops for an ambush?

297
00:12:17,610 --> 00:12:19,950
All of these things are what make Hannibal

298
00:12:19,950 --> 00:12:22,517
the genius he's remembered as today.

299
00:12:22,517 --> 00:12:25,920
As for Longus, he managed
to escape the battlefield

300
00:12:25,919 --> 00:12:27,839
with a small number of troops.

301
00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,940
Disgraced, he didn't want this Senate

302
00:12:29,940 --> 00:12:31,320
to find out what had happened,

303
00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:35,017
and he began obscuring
communications back to Rome.

304
00:12:35,017 --> 00:12:37,200
"Longus, where have you been?

305
00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:38,317
We've been looking for you."

306
00:12:38,317 --> 00:12:40,147
"Uh, nowhere in particular."

307
00:12:40,147 --> 00:12:42,810
"Longus, 30,000 men are missing.

308
00:12:42,809 --> 00:12:44,106
Do you know where they are?"

309
00:12:44,106 --> 00:12:46,447
"Uh, they're taking a bath."

310
00:12:46,447 --> 00:12:49,476
"30,000 men, all in a bath."

311
00:12:49,476 --> 00:12:50,437
"Yes."

312
00:12:50,437 --> 00:12:52,360
"Longus, what's under that rug?"

313
00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:53,887
(flies buzzing)

314
00:12:53,886 --> 00:12:55,596
"Aurora Borealis."

315
00:12:55,596 --> 00:12:57,332
"Aurora Borealis?

316
00:12:58,817 --> 00:12:59,856
Oh."
(alarm beeps)

317
00:12:59,856 --> 00:13:01,559
"Well, that's my consulship over.

318
00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:03,869
Good luck with Hannibal, bye."

319
00:13:03,870 --> 00:13:07,080
Trebia had been a disaster for the Romans.

320
00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,170
And as even more Celts
began flocking to Hannibal,

321
00:13:10,169 --> 00:13:14,339
Rome largely lost its
control over Cisalpine Gaul.

322
00:13:14,340 --> 00:13:17,639
In Rome, complacency turned to alarm.

323
00:13:17,639 --> 00:13:20,220
Hannibal had outwitted
them on their own soil

324
00:13:20,220 --> 00:13:22,649
and inflicted a costly defeat.

325
00:13:22,649 --> 00:13:23,482
But with that,

326
00:13:23,482 --> 00:13:27,059
Scipio and Longus's terms
as Consul were over.

327
00:13:27,059 --> 00:13:29,097
They were replaced with two new Consuls,

328
00:13:29,097 --> 00:13:31,796
Servilius and Flaminius.

329
00:13:31,797 --> 00:13:34,320
The Romans may now have begun to realize

330
00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:35,790
the trouble they were in,

331
00:13:35,789 --> 00:13:39,569
and the genius Hannibal had
shown in invading Italy.

332
00:13:39,570 --> 00:13:43,080
The Romans had expected to be
the ones controlling this war.

333
00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,770
Remember, they thought they
were going to invade Carthage.

334
00:13:46,769 --> 00:13:49,019
Now their plans lay in ruins,

335
00:13:49,019 --> 00:13:51,299
and they were levying 11 new legions

336
00:13:51,299 --> 00:13:53,039
to deal with the threat,

337
00:13:53,039 --> 00:13:56,849
Hannibal had completely redefined the war.

338
00:13:56,850 --> 00:13:59,580
But Hannibal had a little
problem of his own.

339
00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:01,230
Things had gone well so far,

340
00:14:01,230 --> 00:14:03,360
but the Celts were notoriously fickle.

341
00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,180
And Hannibal needed to ensure
he maintained their alliance

342
00:14:06,179 --> 00:14:08,549
and his base of support in Italy.

343
00:14:08,549 --> 00:14:10,620
Any Celts he captured fighting for Rome

344
00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:12,240
he treated extremely well

345
00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,340
and allowed them to return to their homes.

346
00:14:14,340 --> 00:14:16,800
But the longer he hung
around in their territory,

347
00:14:16,799 --> 00:14:18,089
eating all their food

348
00:14:18,090 --> 00:14:20,250
and leaving beard
trimmings in their sinks,

349
00:14:20,250 --> 00:14:22,409
the more resentful they may become.

350
00:14:22,409 --> 00:14:25,829
They wanted to go south and
plunder some Roman booty.

351
00:14:25,830 --> 00:14:27,450
And Hannibal also hoped to sway

352
00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:30,870
Rome's other Italian allies
in the south to his side.

353
00:14:30,870 --> 00:14:33,235
So from here, the path was clear.

354
00:14:33,235 --> 00:14:35,836
Hannibal had to move south.

355
00:14:35,836 --> 00:14:37,680
Just one problem.

356
00:14:37,679 --> 00:14:39,000
There were two main routes

357
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,250
Hannibal could take to move south.

358
00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:42,720
And wouldn't you know it?

359
00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,480
That's exactly where the
two new Roman Consuls

360
00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,639
had taken fortified positions.

361
00:14:47,639 --> 00:14:49,319
If Hannibal tried to move on them,

362
00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,810
he'd be fighting from a
disadvantaged position

363
00:14:51,809 --> 00:14:53,406
and could be bottled in.

364
00:14:53,407 --> 00:14:54,877
"There is a third option."

365
00:14:54,876 --> 00:14:56,016
"Ooh, tell me, tell me."

366
00:14:56,017 --> 00:14:58,620
"We could move through this
vast, impassable marshland

367
00:14:58,620 --> 00:15:00,779
flooded with dirty, stinky
disease infested water

368
00:15:00,779 --> 00:15:02,646
that at times would come up to our necks."

369
00:15:02,647 --> 00:15:05,910
"But there's no way we
would attempt that, right?

370
00:15:05,909 --> 00:15:07,409
That it'd be crazy, right?

371
00:15:07,409 --> 00:15:10,076
(playful music)

372
00:15:11,370 --> 00:15:12,202
Hannibal?"

373
00:15:12,202 --> 00:15:14,939
Hannibal's four day trek
across the Arno marshlands

374
00:15:14,940 --> 00:15:16,890
was hell on Earth,

375
00:15:16,889 --> 00:15:19,439
almost as crazy as when
he crossed the Alps.

376
00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,890
Imagine three full days
unable to sit or lie down

377
00:15:22,889 --> 00:15:24,929
because there's nowhere
to sit or lie down.

378
00:15:24,929 --> 00:15:27,419
Meaning four full days without sleep

379
00:15:27,419 --> 00:15:29,370
slugging through heavy mud.

380
00:15:29,370 --> 00:15:30,750
You contract cholera.

381
00:15:30,750 --> 00:15:31,917
Your foot falls off

382
00:15:31,917 --> 00:15:33,750
and Jimbob directly in front of you

383
00:15:33,750 --> 00:15:35,429
won't stop pooping in your path.

384
00:15:35,429 --> 00:15:38,250
In fact, everybody's pooping in your path.

385
00:15:38,250 --> 00:15:41,669
Some delirious sleepless
men would see clumps of mud

386
00:15:41,669 --> 00:15:44,483
and say, "Man, I could
just sink into that."

387
00:15:44,484 --> 00:15:46,350
And then they would.

388
00:15:46,350 --> 00:15:47,610
When Pack animals died,

389
00:15:47,610 --> 00:15:49,800
it gave nearby men a chance to rest,

390
00:15:49,799 --> 00:15:51,240
but only for a few moments

391
00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,460
before they were whipped back into line.

392
00:15:53,460 --> 00:15:56,977
Even Hannibal himself couldn't
escape the torture of it.

393
00:15:56,976 --> 00:15:59,699
"Hey, Hannibal, if we see
a Starbucks, can we stop?

394
00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:01,441
I need to take a leak."

395
00:16:01,441 --> 00:16:06,367
(Carthaginian soldiers screaming)

396
00:16:06,366 --> 00:16:07,199
"What?"

397
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,730
"Geez, Hannibal looks like you picked up

398
00:16:08,730 --> 00:16:10,110
a nasty eye infection.

399
00:16:10,110 --> 00:16:11,190
Normally for this sort of thing,

400
00:16:11,190 --> 00:16:12,990
we'd just wash it out
with some clean water.

401
00:16:12,990 --> 00:16:15,269
But as you can see, water everywhere,

402
00:16:15,269 --> 00:16:16,927
but it's full of Jimbob's poop."

403
00:16:16,927 --> 00:16:19,947
"No worries, doc, I'll just
take care of it myself."

404
00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,037
(Carthaginian soldiers gasp)

405
00:16:24,037 --> 00:16:25,259
"That'll be $3,000."

406
00:16:25,259 --> 00:16:27,059
When the now possibly one-eyed Hannibal

407
00:16:27,059 --> 00:16:30,911
and his army emerged from the
swamp, they were shattered.

408
00:16:30,912 --> 00:16:34,980
But he had just managed to slip 50,000 men

409
00:16:34,980 --> 00:16:38,639
right past the Romans
into Rich Etrurian lands

410
00:16:38,639 --> 00:16:40,649
where he could replenish his supplies

411
00:16:40,649 --> 00:16:43,079
and his Celt allies could go crazy

412
00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,540
securing Roman loot and booty.

413
00:16:45,539 --> 00:16:48,179
As fields and villages went up in flames,

414
00:16:48,179 --> 00:16:50,849
one Roman Consul couldn't help but notice.

415
00:16:50,850 --> 00:16:52,920
The hotheaded Flaminius,

416
00:16:52,919 --> 00:16:56,129
feeling it was his responsibility
to protect these lands.

417
00:16:56,129 --> 00:16:58,919
Rather than waiting for his
co-consul to come join him,

418
00:16:58,919 --> 00:17:02,009
immediately left to go chase Hannibal.

419
00:17:02,009 --> 00:17:05,400
Now this Flaminius was
an interesting character.

420
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,220
He was what the Romans called a new man.

421
00:17:08,220 --> 00:17:11,700
He came from the lower plebeian
classes of Roman society,

422
00:17:11,700 --> 00:17:13,423
and as a result, he reportedly had

423
00:17:13,423 --> 00:17:16,859
kind of a screw you attitude
to the establishment

424
00:17:16,859 --> 00:17:19,500
and a big old, arrogant
chip on his shoulder.

425
00:17:19,500 --> 00:17:23,880
Picture Sid Vicious wearing
a toga, that's Flaminius.

426
00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:28,080
And Hannibal, thanks to
his spies, knew everything.

427
00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:30,990
Just as with Longus,
Hannibal knew Flaminius

428
00:17:30,990 --> 00:17:34,950
was just the kind of man
he could lure into a trap.

429
00:17:34,950 --> 00:17:38,190
Hannibal led Flaminius to
the entrance of a narrow pass

430
00:17:38,190 --> 00:17:40,740
along the north shore of Lake Trasimene.

431
00:17:40,740 --> 00:17:44,210
Flaminius watched as Hannibal's
army entered the pass.

432
00:17:44,210 --> 00:17:47,167
"I've done it, I've spotted the enemy."

433
00:17:47,166 --> 00:17:50,579
"Uh, sir, that big "Follow us" sign

434
00:17:50,579 --> 00:17:52,416
seems kinda like they're
trying to lure you in."

435
00:17:52,416 --> 00:17:55,057
"Yes, Gareth, and I'm taking the bait."

436
00:17:55,057 --> 00:17:57,217
"Sir, this really seems like a trap."

437
00:17:57,217 --> 00:18:00,090
"Yes, Gareth, and I'm falling for it."

438
00:18:00,089 --> 00:18:03,779
Daylight was fading, so for
now, the Romans set up camp.

439
00:18:03,779 --> 00:18:06,702
The two armies encamped across
the lake from one another

440
00:18:06,702 --> 00:18:10,049
and night fell over the two camps.

441
00:18:10,049 --> 00:18:13,319
In the morning, Flaminius
would catch up to Hannibal

442
00:18:13,319 --> 00:18:16,740
and he would be the hero of Rome.

443
00:18:16,740 --> 00:18:21,180
For now, the Romans got nice
and comfy in their beds.

444
00:18:21,180 --> 00:18:22,594
Goodnight, Flaminius.

445
00:18:22,594 --> 00:18:24,212
Good night, Rome.

446
00:18:25,259 --> 00:18:27,720
Good evening, Hannibal.

447
00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,509
During the night, Hannibal
ordered total stealth

448
00:18:30,509 --> 00:18:33,509
(Flaminius snoring)

449
00:18:34,589 --> 00:18:37,360
as tens of thousands of troops

450
00:18:37,361 --> 00:18:41,040
(Roman soldiers snoring)

451
00:18:41,039 --> 00:18:43,453
scaled the wooded hills above the pass,

452
00:18:43,453 --> 00:18:46,169
(Roman soldiers snoring)

453
00:18:46,170 --> 00:18:49,919
completely undetected by Rome's scouts.

454
00:18:49,919 --> 00:18:52,919
(Flaminius snoring)

455
00:18:53,878 --> 00:18:56,796
(upbeat music)

456
00:18:56,797 --> 00:18:57,900
"Let's go girls."

457
00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:00,630
Flaminius took off across the lake shore

458
00:19:00,630 --> 00:19:02,250
to try to catch Hannibal.

459
00:19:02,250 --> 00:19:06,660
As he did, even the weather
seemed to be on Hannibal's side.

460
00:19:06,660 --> 00:19:09,540
A thick fog rose from
the surface of the lake

461
00:19:09,539 --> 00:19:11,557
obscuring visibility.

462
00:19:11,557 --> 00:19:14,099
"Look at this, this is perfect.

463
00:19:14,099 --> 00:19:16,169
The mist will obscure our approach.

464
00:19:16,170 --> 00:19:18,531
Hannibal will never see me coming."

465
00:19:18,530 --> 00:19:22,206
(battle horns blast)

466
00:19:22,207 --> 00:19:25,320
"Sir, why does it sound
like 50,000 Carthaginians

467
00:19:25,319 --> 00:19:27,096
are charging down the hill towards us?

468
00:19:27,096 --> 00:19:29,910
"You mean 50,000 Carthaginians

469
00:19:29,910 --> 00:19:31,590
are charging right into my trap."

470
00:19:31,589 --> 00:19:33,509
(Carthaginian soldiers yelling)

471
00:19:33,509 --> 00:19:34,950
The Romans found themselves

472
00:19:34,950 --> 00:19:37,350
completely hemmed in on all sides.

473
00:19:37,349 --> 00:19:39,509
With zero visibility in the fog,

474
00:19:39,509 --> 00:19:42,480
the fighting was terrifying and chaotic.

475
00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,210
Troops were pushed into the
lake in their heavy armor

476
00:19:45,210 --> 00:19:48,090
where they were either
cut down or drowned.

477
00:19:48,089 --> 00:19:51,449
And Flaminius, who likely
stood out like a sore thumb

478
00:19:51,450 --> 00:19:53,807
in his Consul attire caught the attention

479
00:19:53,807 --> 00:19:55,860
of one Celt warrior.

480
00:19:55,859 --> 00:19:58,319
With his head possibly
swirling with thoughts

481
00:19:58,319 --> 00:20:01,379
of how the Romans had
decimated his homeland.

482
00:20:01,380 --> 00:20:05,973
According to the ancient writers,
this Celt took his chance.

483
00:20:08,671 --> 00:20:11,587
(triumphant music)

484
00:20:13,950 --> 00:20:18,180
In the three hour long massacre,
15,000 Romans were killed,

485
00:20:18,180 --> 00:20:20,310
and an equal number captured.

486
00:20:20,309 --> 00:20:23,369
An entire army completely wiped out

487
00:20:23,369 --> 00:20:25,379
along with their Consul.

488
00:20:25,380 --> 00:20:27,270
During the battle, the Roman vanguard

489
00:20:27,269 --> 00:20:29,129
had managed to break through at the front

490
00:20:29,130 --> 00:20:31,230
and climb the hill above the fog.

491
00:20:31,230 --> 00:20:36,000
When the mist cleared, what
they saw was a blood red lake

492
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,123
and a sea of Roman bodies.

493
00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,289
Worse yet, when the other
consuls sent cavalry

494
00:20:43,289 --> 00:20:45,839
to try to aid Flaminius's doomed legions,

495
00:20:45,839 --> 00:20:48,000
they too were caught and defeated.

496
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,432
A double disaster.

497
00:20:53,693 --> 00:20:55,980
(senators screaming)

498
00:20:55,980 --> 00:20:58,259
Rome went into a frenzy.

499
00:20:58,259 --> 00:21:01,920
For the second time, Hannibal
had completely decimated

500
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:03,900
an entire Roman army.

501
00:21:03,900 --> 00:21:06,960
Romans were dying by
the tens of thousands.

502
00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:10,259
Common citizens began flocking
to the city for safety.

503
00:21:10,259 --> 00:21:13,019
Women waited by the city gates in tears,

504
00:21:13,019 --> 00:21:15,180
hoping to hear news of loved ones.

505
00:21:15,180 --> 00:21:17,340
This one man, having just led

506
00:21:17,339 --> 00:21:20,609
his battered army across
the Alps the previous year

507
00:21:20,609 --> 00:21:24,320
now stood less than a
hundred miles from Rome.

508
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,449
To this point, he had been a problem.

509
00:21:27,450 --> 00:21:30,783
Now Hannibal was a crisis.

510
00:21:32,190 --> 00:21:36,150
And in a crisis, Rome
took desperate measures.

511
00:21:36,150 --> 00:21:38,040
They actually had a system in place

512
00:21:38,039 --> 00:21:41,759
when dealing with an
emergency of this magnitude.

513
00:21:41,759 --> 00:21:44,910
They would forego their two
Consul power sharing system,

514
00:21:44,910 --> 00:21:47,970
and instead, temporarily give one man

515
00:21:47,970 --> 00:21:50,279
near total power and authority

516
00:21:50,279 --> 00:21:52,319
to be as decisive as he needed

517
00:21:52,319 --> 00:21:54,809
and hopefully salvage the situation.

518
00:21:54,809 --> 00:21:57,929
This all powerful position
in Rome's government

519
00:21:57,930 --> 00:22:00,299
had a name, dictator.

520
00:22:00,299 --> 00:22:02,519
It's actually where we get the word.

521
00:22:02,519 --> 00:22:04,440
But unlike modern dictators,

522
00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,140
Roman ones didn't score
perfect rounds of golf

523
00:22:07,140 --> 00:22:09,540
or ride bears through the Siberian Tundra.

524
00:22:09,539 --> 00:22:11,909
They held their power for just six months

525
00:22:11,910 --> 00:22:14,153
before they were required to give it up.

526
00:22:14,153 --> 00:22:16,589
And in Rome's hour of need,

527
00:22:16,589 --> 00:22:20,669
the man chosen to be dictator in 217 BC,

528
00:22:20,670 --> 00:22:24,210
one of the most highly esteemed
members of the Roman Senate,

529
00:22:24,210 --> 00:22:26,309
Fabius Maximus.

530
00:22:26,309 --> 00:22:30,269
So how would Fabius as
dictator confront Hannibal?

531
00:22:30,269 --> 00:22:31,710
Well, Fabius understood

532
00:22:31,710 --> 00:22:33,420
that marching all of Rome's young men

533
00:22:33,420 --> 00:22:37,080
straight into a one-man meat
grinder was bleeding Rome dry.

534
00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:39,119
Hannibal was clearly too dangerous

535
00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,129
to face head on in battle.

536
00:22:41,130 --> 00:22:44,970
However, he was also
stuck in their territory

537
00:22:44,970 --> 00:22:48,420
with dwindling manpower and
forced to live off the land.

538
00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:51,840
It wasn't a sustainable
position to be in long term,

539
00:22:51,839 --> 00:22:54,569
and he could only remain
there for so long.

540
00:22:54,569 --> 00:22:57,269
So if Rome avoided battle with Hannibal

541
00:22:57,269 --> 00:22:59,293
to prevent any more crippling losses,

542
00:22:59,294 --> 00:23:03,240
and instead simply maneuvered
around him, blocking supplies

543
00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,940
and taking out smaller
contingents where possible

544
00:23:05,940 --> 00:23:08,610
Hannibal would gradually become weaker

545
00:23:08,609 --> 00:23:11,879
while they would
gradually become stronger.

546
00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,877
And so Fabius presented his
new idea to the Roman Senate.

547
00:23:15,876 --> 00:23:18,029
"Okay, guys, I have an idea.

548
00:23:18,029 --> 00:23:20,069
See if you can follow me here, okay?

549
00:23:20,069 --> 00:23:23,970
Instead of fighting
Hannibal when he approaches,

550
00:23:23,970 --> 00:23:26,217
we run away."

551
00:23:27,913 --> 00:23:30,747
(senators booing)

552
00:23:31,650 --> 00:23:35,040
Fabius's strategy couldn't
have been any less Roman.

553
00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:37,799
Romans were meant to march
headfirst into battle,

554
00:23:37,799 --> 00:23:39,659
not run away from it.

555
00:23:39,660 --> 00:23:44,310
It seemed cowardly and Fabius
was extremely unpopular.

556
00:23:44,309 --> 00:23:47,159
At this point, Hannibal
was continuing south.

557
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:49,890
He had to stay on the
move to keep his army fed,

558
00:23:49,890 --> 00:23:50,910
and he was still aiming

559
00:23:50,910 --> 00:23:53,460
to undermine Rome's
alliances in the south.

560
00:23:53,460 --> 00:23:56,610
As he went in a calculated
display of aggression,

561
00:23:56,609 --> 00:24:00,629
he devastated the Roman
countryside and killed many Romans,

562
00:24:00,630 --> 00:24:03,787
all in plain sight of Fabius and his army.

563
00:24:03,787 --> 00:24:05,797
"We're just gonna stand here?"

564
00:24:05,797 --> 00:24:06,630
"Yes."

565
00:24:06,630 --> 00:24:07,687
"Are you a coward?"

566
00:24:07,686 --> 00:24:08,519
"No."

567
00:24:08,519 --> 00:24:10,567
"But Fabius, that's my farm."

568
00:24:10,567 --> 00:24:13,049
"Well, MacDonald, thank
you for your sacrifice.

569
00:24:13,049 --> 00:24:14,159
You're a hero now.

570
00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:15,860
Think of the stories you'll tell."

571
00:24:16,777 --> 00:24:21,297
"Old McDonald had a farm." (cries)

572
00:24:22,686 --> 00:24:23,519
"Shut up."

573
00:24:23,519 --> 00:24:26,849
But you know who else
hated Fabius's strategy?

574
00:24:26,849 --> 00:24:27,839
Hannibal.

575
00:24:27,839 --> 00:24:30,539
He understood the danger he was in.

576
00:24:30,539 --> 00:24:32,279
Turning Rome's allies against her,

577
00:24:32,279 --> 00:24:35,700
required Hannibal to keep
smashing the Romans in battle.

578
00:24:35,700 --> 00:24:38,789
He couldn't do that if
Fabius wouldn't fight him.

579
00:24:38,789 --> 00:24:42,359
Multiple times, Hannibal tried
to goad Fabius into a fight,

580
00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:44,579
but Fabius wouldn't bite.

581
00:24:44,579 --> 00:24:48,240
Failing that he tried to
turn room against Fabius.

582
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:49,829
According to the writer, Livy,

583
00:24:49,829 --> 00:24:52,109
he burned down all the farms he could.

584
00:24:52,109 --> 00:24:55,079
But any farm he learned
was owned by Fabius himself

585
00:24:55,079 --> 00:24:56,736
he left well alone.

586
00:24:56,737 --> 00:25:00,067
"Hey, Fabius, why isn't
he burning down your farm?

587
00:25:00,067 --> 00:25:03,217
You got some sort of a
secret deal with him."

588
00:25:03,217 --> 00:25:04,747
"What, of course not."

589
00:25:04,747 --> 00:25:06,427
"Hey, Hannibal!"

590
00:25:06,426 --> 00:25:07,449
"What?"

591
00:25:07,450 --> 00:25:09,997
"Burn my farm too, please."

592
00:25:09,997 --> 00:25:11,137
"What?"

593
00:25:11,136 --> 00:25:14,916
"Burn my farm too, please."

594
00:25:14,916 --> 00:25:19,016
"No, remember our secret deal."

595
00:25:20,053 --> 00:25:23,250
(sighs) Well, you gotta
admit he's a genius.

596
00:25:23,250 --> 00:25:24,690
Hannibal's problem, however,

597
00:25:24,690 --> 00:25:26,519
was that he had to stay on the move

598
00:25:26,519 --> 00:25:29,250
to keep supplying his
army from the local lands.

599
00:25:29,250 --> 00:25:31,500
At one point, he entered Campania,

600
00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:34,980
one of the richest regions of
Italy, great for resupplying

601
00:25:34,980 --> 00:25:36,779
and great for showing up Fabius

602
00:25:36,779 --> 00:25:39,269
in front of Rome's south Italian allies.

603
00:25:39,269 --> 00:25:41,279
But he was caught in a valley,

604
00:25:41,279 --> 00:25:44,247
and Fabius quickly moved
to block his escapes.

605
00:25:44,247 --> 00:25:46,350
"Ha ha, we've got him.

606
00:25:46,349 --> 00:25:47,250
After he's used up

607
00:25:47,250 --> 00:25:50,136
all the valley's supplies, he'll starve."

608
00:25:50,136 --> 00:25:53,519
"Uh, sir, what are all those
lights leaving the valley?

609
00:25:53,519 --> 00:25:54,966
Is he trying to escape?"

610
00:25:54,967 --> 00:25:57,030
"Lights in plain view?

611
00:25:57,029 --> 00:25:59,508
Well, that's a trap if
I've ever seen one."

612
00:25:59,508 --> 00:26:01,650
"And we're falling for it."

613
00:26:01,650 --> 00:26:04,343
Suspecting a trap,
Fabius refused to budge.

614
00:26:04,343 --> 00:26:07,890
But other Romans in the valley
rushed to confront Hannibal,

615
00:26:07,890 --> 00:26:09,990
only to find the Carthaginian army

616
00:26:09,990 --> 00:26:11,789
was actually just a herd of oxen

617
00:26:11,789 --> 00:26:13,889
with torches tied to their heads.

618
00:26:13,890 --> 00:26:16,663
They then found themselves
caught in an ambush.

619
00:26:16,663 --> 00:26:19,410
With the Romans distracted Hannibal's army

620
00:26:19,410 --> 00:26:23,061
was able to slip away
into the night unopposed.

621
00:26:23,060 --> 00:26:25,199
Classic Hannibal.

622
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,990
For all his inaction,
the dissatisfied Romans

623
00:26:27,990 --> 00:26:31,259
mockingly dubbed him Fabius the Delayer.

624
00:26:31,259 --> 00:26:33,569
But the thing is, Fabius's strategy

625
00:26:33,569 --> 00:26:35,934
was probably the best
thing he could have done.

626
00:26:35,934 --> 00:26:38,970
He was right that constant
encounters with Hannibal

627
00:26:38,970 --> 00:26:40,680
were bleeding Rome dry.

628
00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,470
And the time he took allowed
Rome some breathing room

629
00:26:43,470 --> 00:26:46,500
to recover their forces when
they desperately needed to

630
00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:47,640
while putting Hannibal

631
00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,460
into an increasingly
more difficult position.

632
00:26:50,460 --> 00:26:53,130
Modern historians view Fabius's strategy

633
00:26:53,130 --> 00:26:55,440
as generally a good idea.

634
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,650
To this day, the act of
not engaging an enemy,

635
00:26:58,650 --> 00:27:01,350
but instead gradually wearing them down

636
00:27:01,349 --> 00:27:05,459
is still referred to
as the Fabian strategy.

637
00:27:05,460 --> 00:27:08,490
But when Fabius's term
finally came to an end,

638
00:27:08,490 --> 00:27:11,069
the Senate couldn't have been happier.

639
00:27:11,069 --> 00:27:13,799
It was time to start fighting again.

640
00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:16,440
However, they probably had a little chat

641
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,450
about how they were gonna go about it.

642
00:27:18,450 --> 00:27:22,710
See, Hannibal's tactics up
until now had been very sneaky.

643
00:27:22,710 --> 00:27:26,510
Or if you're a Roman, you
might say dishonorable.

644
00:27:26,510 --> 00:27:28,049
"I'm sick of it.

645
00:27:28,049 --> 00:27:30,240
Every time we try to take this guy down,

646
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:31,740
we march straight at him.

647
00:27:31,740 --> 00:27:35,309
But then, oh, no,
Hannibal's hiding in a bush.

648
00:27:35,309 --> 00:27:38,009
Hannibal's got 30,000 men up a tree.

649
00:27:38,009 --> 00:27:40,500
At this point, I'm not convinced my wife

650
00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:42,494
isn't just Hannibal wearing a disguise."

651
00:27:42,494 --> 00:27:44,031
(senator's wife coos)

652
00:27:44,031 --> 00:27:45,126
(senator shudders)

653
00:27:45,126 --> 00:27:48,839
"Look, this time we obviously
have to switch something up.

654
00:27:48,839 --> 00:27:50,639
Now, granted, we're Roman,

655
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,151
so we're gonna march straight
at him without thinking.

656
00:27:53,151 --> 00:27:55,678
That can't be helped, it's in our blood.

657
00:27:55,678 --> 00:27:59,250
But I have a proposition.

658
00:27:59,250 --> 00:28:01,859
This time when we march straight at him,

659
00:28:01,859 --> 00:28:04,259
we do it with a massive army.

660
00:28:04,259 --> 00:28:06,960
I'm talking like 80,000 men.

661
00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:09,630
It won't matter what kind
of shenanigans he pulls.

662
00:28:09,630 --> 00:28:11,970
He can hide in all the bushes he wants.

663
00:28:11,970 --> 00:28:16,970
There's no way he can
possibly beat off 80,000 men."

664
00:28:17,308 --> 00:28:18,497
(senators laughing)

665
00:28:18,497 --> 00:28:19,917
"Grow up, you know what I mean."

666
00:28:19,916 --> 00:28:22,919
And so it was with two new Consuls

667
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,320
Rome put together a massive army.

668
00:28:25,319 --> 00:28:27,599
The biggest Rome had ever fielded

669
00:28:27,599 --> 00:28:30,359
to put Hannibal away once and for all.

670
00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,209
To gather them in required,
two thirds of them

671
00:28:33,210 --> 00:28:35,970
ended up being completely inexperienced.

672
00:28:35,970 --> 00:28:37,529
But how much experienced does it take

673
00:28:37,529 --> 00:28:39,329
to be expendable war fodder?

674
00:28:39,329 --> 00:28:43,589
As this massive army set
out in the summer of 216 BC

675
00:28:43,589 --> 00:28:47,279
the Romans knew they
needed to win this battle.

676
00:28:47,279 --> 00:28:49,230
Just one victory over Hannibal

677
00:28:49,230 --> 00:28:52,529
would likely be enough to
end his entire campaign.

678
00:28:52,529 --> 00:28:55,079
And this time, their overwhelming manpower

679
00:28:55,079 --> 00:28:57,720
gave them confidence they could do it.

680
00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,569
Hannibal had taken position
at the town of Cannae

681
00:29:00,569 --> 00:29:03,629
where he had captured an
important Roman Supply depot.

682
00:29:03,630 --> 00:29:05,820
With Fabius gone, Hannibal knew

683
00:29:05,819 --> 00:29:07,649
the battle was likely coming,

684
00:29:07,650 --> 00:29:10,302
and he was eager to fight it on his terms.

685
00:29:10,301 --> 00:29:13,649
But when his men looked
out at the Roman camp,

686
00:29:13,650 --> 00:29:16,507
they couldn't believe
what they were seeing.

687
00:29:16,507 --> 00:29:18,240
"That army's huge.

688
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,880
There's no way we can possibly
beat off all these men.

689
00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:22,450
How are we gonna beat
off all of these men?"

690
00:29:22,450 --> 00:29:23,767
"Heh, heh."

691
00:29:23,767 --> 00:29:24,600
"You know what I mean."

692
00:29:24,599 --> 00:29:26,459
"I think he's right, Hannibal."

693
00:29:26,460 --> 00:29:28,687
Hannibal is then said to have replied,

694
00:29:28,686 --> 00:29:31,409
"Gisco, my friend, don't worry.

695
00:29:31,410 --> 00:29:34,230
There may be a lot of them,
but amongst their ranks,

696
00:29:34,230 --> 00:29:37,410
there's not a single man named Gisco."

697
00:29:37,410 --> 00:29:40,320
This joke was apparently so funny

698
00:29:40,319 --> 00:29:43,230
that his officers began
to laugh and laugh.

699
00:29:43,230 --> 00:29:45,450
And when his men in the
camp heard the laughter,

700
00:29:45,450 --> 00:29:47,870
they were like, "Hey, they're laughing.

701
00:29:47,869 --> 00:29:50,225
I guess that means we're
gonna win the battle."

702
00:29:50,226 --> 00:29:52,200
(Carthaginian soldiers cheer)

703
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,019
As for the Romans, the
Consuls were another pairing

704
00:29:55,019 --> 00:29:58,559
between an inexperienced
hothead and a wise scholar.

705
00:29:58,559 --> 00:30:00,929
Although the main historian from this era

706
00:30:00,930 --> 00:30:03,090
was good friends with Paullus's family,

707
00:30:03,089 --> 00:30:05,099
so take that with a grain of salt.

708
00:30:05,099 --> 00:30:08,579
On his day of command,
the rash and hasty Varro,

709
00:30:08,579 --> 00:30:11,099
despite the apparent pleas from Paullus

710
00:30:11,099 --> 00:30:12,990
sent the army out for battle.

711
00:30:12,990 --> 00:30:16,019
And when Hannibal saw
this, he did the same.

712
00:30:16,019 --> 00:30:19,200
And here comes the single largest battle

713
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,180
of the Second Punic War

714
00:30:21,180 --> 00:30:24,420
and one of the most
renowned battles in history.

715
00:30:24,420 --> 00:30:26,777
The infamous Battle of Cannae.

716
00:30:28,650 --> 00:30:30,330
In all the pre battle maneuvering,

717
00:30:30,329 --> 00:30:32,369
Hannibal was able to ensure his army

718
00:30:32,369 --> 00:30:34,049
was fighting from the south.

719
00:30:34,049 --> 00:30:37,589
This meant the seasonal dust
carrying winds were to his back

720
00:30:37,589 --> 00:30:41,129
and blowing directly into
the faces of the Romans.

721
00:30:41,130 --> 00:30:43,424
Like I said, control.

722
00:30:43,423 --> 00:30:46,470
After two years in Italy,
Hannibal's infantry

723
00:30:46,470 --> 00:30:48,720
had dwindled to about 40,000.

724
00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:52,170
The Romans possibly
outnumbered him two to one.

725
00:30:52,170 --> 00:30:53,730
Their army was so big

726
00:30:53,730 --> 00:30:55,829
that their maniple stretched far deeper

727
00:30:55,829 --> 00:30:57,149
than they normally would.

728
00:30:57,150 --> 00:31:00,090
The Romans plan to charge
Hannibal's thin weak line

729
00:31:00,089 --> 00:31:02,609
like a battering ram and break it.

730
00:31:02,609 --> 00:31:04,919
They also chose a narrow battlefield

731
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:06,090
in the hopes it would prevent

732
00:31:06,089 --> 00:31:08,039
Hannibal's far superior cavalry

733
00:31:08,039 --> 00:31:10,349
from being able to outmaneuver them.

734
00:31:10,349 --> 00:31:13,469
They wanted an honorable
battle where pure strength,

735
00:31:13,470 --> 00:31:16,255
rather than trickery,
would decide the outcome.

736
00:31:16,255 --> 00:31:18,660
If Hannibal had his say, however,

737
00:31:18,660 --> 00:31:21,596
trickery might end up
having a lot to do with it.

738
00:31:21,596 --> 00:31:23,039
He ordered his line

739
00:31:23,039 --> 00:31:25,440
to position themselves as an outward bulge

740
00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,320
with his weakest troops
at the very center.

741
00:31:28,319 --> 00:31:31,079
Just behind them out of
sight from the Romans,

742
00:31:31,079 --> 00:31:33,599
stood the elite Libyan infantry

743
00:31:33,599 --> 00:31:36,359
waiting for their moment to strike.

744
00:31:36,359 --> 00:31:39,629
The battle commenced as
the massive Roman troops

745
00:31:39,630 --> 00:31:42,390
smashed into the Carthaginian center.

746
00:31:42,390 --> 00:31:44,040
The shape of Hannibal's line

747
00:31:44,039 --> 00:31:46,440
ensured the overwhelming
weight of the Romans

748
00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:48,750
hit his weakest troops first,

749
00:31:48,750 --> 00:31:51,359
and they were pushed back.

750
00:31:51,359 --> 00:31:54,269
Hannibal's outward bulge reversed inward

751
00:31:54,269 --> 00:31:57,839
with the Romans being funneled
in towards the weak center.

752
00:31:57,839 --> 00:32:00,329
Hannibal had positioned
himself at the center

753
00:32:00,329 --> 00:32:02,189
to encourage the troops to hold out

754
00:32:02,190 --> 00:32:05,400
as long as possible against
the Roman onslaught,

755
00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:06,233
because while the Romans

756
00:32:06,232 --> 00:32:08,519
were on leashing carnage on the center,

757
00:32:08,519 --> 00:32:12,059
Hannibal's cavalry needed
time to do their job.

758
00:32:12,059 --> 00:32:14,009
The heavy cavalry on the left

759
00:32:14,009 --> 00:32:17,670
after a barbaric fight sent
the Roman horse packing

760
00:32:17,670 --> 00:32:19,230
with the Consul Paullus

761
00:32:19,230 --> 00:32:21,599
even sustaining a severe head injury.

762
00:32:21,599 --> 00:32:25,049
He managed to move into the
center to keep the battle going.

763
00:32:25,049 --> 00:32:27,269
Then the heavy cavalry turned

764
00:32:27,269 --> 00:32:30,089
and approached Varro's
cavalry from behind.

765
00:32:30,089 --> 00:32:33,429
At the first sight of the
coming Carthaginian envelopment

766
00:32:33,430 --> 00:32:37,289
Varro ordered his horsemen
to flee the battlefield,

767
00:32:37,289 --> 00:32:40,920
the Carthaginians had
won the cavalry battle.

768
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:43,950
But back in the center,
according to some accounts,

769
00:32:43,950 --> 00:32:46,769
Hannibal's line did
eventually end up caving

770
00:32:46,769 --> 00:32:51,690
to the massive weight of the
Romans, and they began to flee.

771
00:32:51,690 --> 00:32:53,640
The Romans pushed deeper

772
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,670
and organization within
the army likely broke down,

773
00:32:56,670 --> 00:32:58,408
as they became a giant mass

774
00:32:58,407 --> 00:33:01,889
trying to massacre the
fleeing Carthaginians.

775
00:33:01,890 --> 00:33:03,360
They didn't realize

776
00:33:03,359 --> 00:33:07,030
that they were playing
right into Hannibal's hands.

777
00:33:07,030 --> 00:33:10,230
At that moment, Hannibal's elite units

778
00:33:10,230 --> 00:33:14,069
having done no fighting yet,
and therefore fresh as a daisy

779
00:33:14,069 --> 00:33:16,919
turned and smashed into the Roman sides.

780
00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,560
Many of these troops were
wearing Roman helmets and armor

781
00:33:19,559 --> 00:33:21,839
they had picked up after previous battles,

782
00:33:21,839 --> 00:33:24,899
and the confused Romans
may not have even realized

783
00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:26,640
they were the enemy.

784
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,090
As Hannibal managed to regain
the composure of his center

785
00:33:30,089 --> 00:33:32,490
and encourage them back into the fight,

786
00:33:32,490 --> 00:33:36,240
the Carthaginian cavalry
swooped in from behind.

787
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:39,390
And look at what lies before you.

788
00:33:39,390 --> 00:33:42,210
A military general's wet dream

789
00:33:42,210 --> 00:33:45,750
the total encirclement
of a much larger force

790
00:33:45,750 --> 00:33:47,910
by a much smaller force.

791
00:33:47,910 --> 00:33:50,610
The Romans were trapped.

792
00:33:50,609 --> 00:33:53,609
Hannibal had unbelievably managed to use

793
00:33:53,609 --> 00:33:56,849
their own superiority
in numbers against them,

794
00:33:56,849 --> 00:33:58,769
rather than simply encircling them,

795
00:33:58,769 --> 00:34:03,089
he had actually allowed them
to use their own immense power

796
00:34:03,089 --> 00:34:07,409
and push themselves into
an encircled position.

797
00:34:07,410 --> 00:34:10,180
This was the genius of Cannae

798
00:34:11,940 --> 00:34:15,903
And with that, the annihilation began.

799
00:34:16,829 --> 00:34:18,900
For hours the Carthaginians

800
00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:21,960
slaughtered the helpless
Romans from all sides.

801
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:25,769
The terrified Romans were so
tightly packed that at times

802
00:34:25,769 --> 00:34:28,889
they couldn't even lift their
arms to defend themselves.

803
00:34:28,889 --> 00:34:32,190
The killing went on so
long that the Carthaginians

804
00:34:32,190 --> 00:34:35,519
became exhausted from
the nonstop massacre.

805
00:34:35,519 --> 00:34:38,190
And by the time the
butchery came to an end,

806
00:34:38,190 --> 00:34:41,519
the grim toll spoke for itself.

807
00:34:41,519 --> 00:34:43,860
To Hannibal several thousand lost.

808
00:34:43,860 --> 00:34:48,860
The Romans suffered 60 to
80,000 dead or captured.

809
00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:54,420
Yet another entire army
wiped out by Hannibal.

810
00:34:54,420 --> 00:34:57,300
Many high-ranking Romans
met their end at Cannae.

811
00:34:57,300 --> 00:35:01,959
Paullus for one, but also
80 senators and more.

812
00:35:01,958 --> 00:35:05,069
It's been estimated that 20%

813
00:35:05,070 --> 00:35:10,070
of Rome's male population,
aged 18 to 50 died at Cannae.

814
00:35:10,590 --> 00:35:14,700
This was it, Hannibal's vengeance.

815
00:35:14,699 --> 00:35:16,469
The stunned Carthaginians

816
00:35:16,469 --> 00:35:19,409
as they searched for their
own survivors among the dead,

817
00:35:19,409 --> 00:35:21,509
couldn't believe the sight of it.

818
00:35:21,510 --> 00:35:24,720
An estimated 30,000 gallons of blood

819
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:28,169
now lay spilled on the battlefield.

820
00:35:28,170 --> 00:35:32,849
Rome's defeat at Cannae sent
shockwaves throughout Italy.

821
00:35:32,849 --> 00:35:34,679
Just as Hannibal had hoped,

822
00:35:34,679 --> 00:35:38,669
most of southern Italy
now defected to his side,

823
00:35:38,670 --> 00:35:42,037
including the second largest
city on the peninsula.

824
00:35:42,036 --> 00:35:45,719
"Wow, Hannibal, this is incredible.

825
00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:47,797
What could possibly come next?"

826
00:35:47,797 --> 00:35:49,079
"Next?

827
00:35:49,079 --> 00:35:53,639
Jimbob, I've killed 150,000 Romans.

828
00:35:53,639 --> 00:35:55,949
I've turned her allies against her.

829
00:35:55,949 --> 00:35:59,159
That's it, that's vengeance.

830
00:35:59,159 --> 00:36:01,829
So let me tell you what comes next.

831
00:36:01,829 --> 00:36:03,353
Rome surrenders.

832
00:36:03,353 --> 00:36:05,339
(dramatic music)

833
00:36:05,340 --> 00:36:07,563
Their territories are reduced.

834
00:36:09,690 --> 00:36:12,213
We recover our lost islands.

835
00:36:14,039 --> 00:36:18,056
And Carthage dominates the
Mediterranean once again."

836
00:36:20,226 --> 00:36:23,016
"But sir, what if they don't surrender?"

837
00:36:23,016 --> 00:36:25,919
"Jimbob, did you miss what just happened?

838
00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:28,050
Of course, they're gonna surrender."

839
00:36:28,050 --> 00:36:30,810
Throughout his campaign
Hannibal had shown himself

840
00:36:30,809 --> 00:36:34,110
to be very adept at
reading the Roman mind.

841
00:36:34,110 --> 00:36:37,019
But if he now thought
that Rome might surrender,

842
00:36:37,019 --> 00:36:41,099
it was the first time he
severely underestimated them.

843
00:36:41,099 --> 00:36:42,839
And he was about to discover

844
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,260
an extremely inconvenient fact about Rome.

845
00:36:46,260 --> 00:36:49,680
Rome never surrenders.

846
00:36:49,679 --> 00:36:52,679
At a Roman survivor's camp near Cannae.

847
00:36:52,679 --> 00:36:55,409
One young officer overheard some troops

848
00:36:55,409 --> 00:36:57,869
discussing how they would flee Rome.

849
00:36:57,869 --> 00:37:01,589
Drawing his sword he
threatened to cut down any man

850
00:37:01,590 --> 00:37:05,160
that would abandon Rome
in its hour of need.

851
00:37:05,159 --> 00:37:08,120
That officer was Scipio the Younger,

852
00:37:08,121 --> 00:37:11,849
but soon enough, the Romans
would come to call him

853
00:37:11,849 --> 00:37:16,849
Scipio Africanus, the hero of Rome.

854
00:37:16,884 --> 00:37:19,634
(dramatic music)