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SHOW

Rated 5 out of 5 by martimedes2 from Totally fascinating Many reviewers will criticise this Course because of the static (camera angle) portrayal of EM. Moreover, she is clearly reading from a teleprompter. So what ! The tale she has to tell is gripping and astounding in its detail, even though she admits that there are many gaps in our historical understanding, and there is probable hyperbole in the estimation of the numbers of soldiers in the fields of battle by the few accounts we do have. The accompanying moving images of battlefield manoeuvres, maps, and sketches of the many individual protagonists are first rate. Like many people, I have had a basic knowledge of Hannibal’s military genius (crossing the Alps, and the battle at Cannae), but I never truly understood the depths of this man’s abilities until watching this Course. The ebb and flow of Roman versus Carthaginian supremacy over a long period of conflict, and the difficulties of communication in those times, makes for a fascinating web of events. There is one intriguing aspect of the studio in which EM is situated, that of the un-named books in the bookcase behind her. Several reviewers have commented on this, but no-one seems to have realised that they are not books at all. If one looks carefully one will notice that disposition (inclinations/spacing) of the shelf by her left arm are exactly the same as the one to the left of her face. Similarly, though harder to discern, is that the shelves above each are also duplicates of each other. Can TTC no longer afford a few real books ?! I have no hesitation in recommending this Course to those who wish to hear a graphic tale of real derring-do.

Date published: 2023-09-13

Rated 3 out of 5 by KLuck from Subject matter informative; presentation weak Prof. MacDonald does an excellent job presenting a history of a figure who is primarily known only through his enemies writings. My problem with the course is that it comes across more as a dramatic reading from the professor’s living room rather than a lecture about a historical figure. The presenter is seen sitting and shown only from the shoulders up. We rarely even see her hands. Whoever filmed this course did a great disservice to Prof. MacDonald because it brings too much attention to her mouth and face, making it difficult, at times to watch. Fortunately the course guide is well written.

Date published: 2023-09-12

Rated 4 out of 5 by Hoatzin from An alternative to reading the book No question that Dr. Eve MacDonald is qualified to present a course on Hannibal. After all, she literally “wrote the book.” The book is 352 pages long and would take me more time to read than the time I spent with the lectures. And I couldn’t multi-task. Dr. MacDonald focuses on many fascinating aspects of society, government and military tactics that affected the conduct of warfare, and this really made the course worthwhile. For example, she introduces Hannibal’s family - his father, brothers-in-law, and two younger brothers - who all had profound influences on his life. (Hannibal was with his father on campaign in Iberia from the time he was nine years old.) She talks about how the religious beliefs and rites associated with the Phoenician god Melqart and Hercules come into play. Dr. MacDonald also explains the peculiar (to me) Roman procedure of an annual election of two consuls who would be in charge of the military for only one year and how that affected military strategy. And, it turns out the Carthaginian oligarchy had its own priorities, and Hannibal wasn’t one of them. The first three lectures were essential to set the stage and very interesting. I was surprised to learn that crossing the Alps with the elephants happened very early in Hannibal’s career. The lectures then track the subsequent major battles and include the battle maps that make the course of the battles intelligible. (One Amazon reviewer complained there were no battle maps in the book!) I’ll let Dr. MacDonald tell you about what happened to Hannibal after he left Italy. Although Hannibal was undoubtedly one of the greatest military minds in history, he was also a man who had to deal with inconvenient realities, questionable allies, and incompetent and short-sighted legislative bodies. But he also must have had great charisma and organizational skills to maintain an army composed of such disparate companies. It is this humanization of the man, created as best as possible from limited sources, that makes this course attractive. Dr. MacDonald reads from a teleprompter and the occasional pauses and corrections can get slightly distracting. The guidebook is very good.

Date published: 2023-09-12

Rated 5 out of 5 by kim kemal from Important topic Hannibal is known by 1) Roman lies and 2) archaeology, anthropology and other science. People who focus too much on #1 fail to project Hannibal as a reasonable patriot, brilliant general and person of integrity who (like so many others in other times/places) put the nation's need over the desires of the aristocracy that he was part of. Not really sure that this instructor fully recognized the self-serving lies of the only docs that survived - but she tried! And that's as good as it's going to get right now... It is a fascinating, important subject and SO glad for this class.

Date published: 2023-08-31

Rated 5 out of 5 by FloridaPat from Impressive Coverage of this Subject I was very impressed with the amount of information I learned in this course. The professor was very skilled in making the information interesting and compelling. I heard of Hannibal in the past but never understood his significance until I completed this course. The professor is excellent.

Date published: 2023-08-31

Rated 5 out of 5 by Robodoc58 from Excellent course This course enhanced my understanding of an important era in ancient history. The lecturer is very engaging. One small (and almost irrelevant oddity): the course was filmed in a location that is not the usual Great Courses studio. Thus there was a bit of an unusual echo to the audio. But the graphics (maps, illustrations) that were interjected were nevertheless top-notch.

Date published: 2023-08-19

Rated 4 out of 5 by AngloWelsh47 from Hannibal:The military genius Who Almost Conquered Phenominal amount of historical information, so much so that it almost detracted from Hannibal's story. We don't get to meet him until Chapter 3.

Date published: 2023-08-09

Rated 5 out of 5 by LastChanceIGIveUP from Loved it! I loved this course and instructor and highly recommend it. I’ve been interested in Hannibal since I heard about him in highschool and wrote a book report on his exploits. In addition, I have read other books about him, one of his brothers and Scipio since. This course filled in some gaps and put it all together, had excellent maps, battle lineup diagrams and portraits of the principle players to make things clearer. I especially appreciated her insights as to the reason why some cities and areas sided with Hannibal or Rome, and why he didn’t get as much support as he needed from Carthage, and why the Greek alliance fell through.

Date published: 2023-07-14

Overview

Get to know one of history’s most important military commanders—Hannibal Barca—from his early days in Iberia to his famed march across the Italian peninsula in the Second Punic War. Along the way, you will become familiar with the ancient world and its customs, politics, notable figures, and way of life, before turning your attention to the terrifying but impressive conquest that made Hannibal so famous.

About

Eve MacDonald

Even in his failure, his bitterest enemies continued to admire and fear Hannibal. His exploits passed into the realm of myth and legend in his own lifetime, and in his death he has retained a kind of heroic notoriety that few can ever hope for.

ALMA MATER

University of Ottawa

INSTITUTION

Cardiff University

Eve MacDonald is a Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at Cardiff University. She earned a PhD in Ancient History at the University of Ottawa. She wrote the book Hannibal: A Hellenistic Life and has published numerous papers on ancient history. She has also worked extensively in the field on excavations, including in Italy and Carthage in Tunisia. Additionally, she has conducted fieldwork at the site of Fulayj in Oman and taken part in excavations of Sasanian Persian outposts in Georgia and Iran for the Persia and Its Neighbours project.

By This Expert

Hannibal: The Military Genius Who Almost Conquered Rome

Trailer

01: The Phoenicians and the Rise of Carthage

What do we really know about Hannibal Barca, an ancient Carthaginian military commander shrouded in myth and mystery? Evaluate two key sources on Hannibal’s life and career—Livy’s work on the Second Punic War and Polybius’s The Histories—before diving into the history of Hannibal’s homeland, Carthage.

36 min

02: The First Punic War

Hannibal lived in the shadow of the Punic Wars, a century-long conflict involving Rome and his native Carthage. Investigate the complicated origins of the First Punic War. Explore Carthage’s early failures from the loss of Agrigento to defeat at the Battle of Mylae. And examine each side’s strengths, weaknesses, and imperial motivations at the start of the contest.

35 min

03: Hamilcar and the Rise of the Barcids

After a string of military losses, Carthage looked like it would fall to the Romans. Get to know Hannibal’s father Hamilcar before delving into how Rome ultimately prevailed despite the elder Barcid’s small but important victories. And explore the civil war that consumed Carthage between the First and Second Punic Wars.

34 min

04: Young Hannibal in Iberia, 237–221 BCE

What can be said about Hamilcar’s expedition to Iberia and Hasdrubal the Fair’s subsequent takeover of Iberia? How was young Hannibal primed for military service by an adolescence that was steeped in conquest? And why did the negotiations between Carthage and Rome fail to resolve the conflict between both powers? Dive into these questions and more.

33 min

05: Hannibal Takes Command, 221–218 BCE

Begin by exploring Hannibal’s early years of military service from how he cultivated troop loyalty to gaining the military victories that impressed and, in some cases, frightened his contemporaries. And wrap up by setting the scene for the Second Punic War, delving into the conflict over and subsequent sacking of Saguntum.

33 min

06: A New Hercules Prepares to Fight Rome

See how careful preparations, intelligence networks, sharp diplomacy, a diverse but well-governed army, and even dreams and Herculean legends helped Hannibal secure meaningful victories in the Second Punic War’s early years. And consider Carthage’s powerful army as it moved and fought its way toward Transalpine Gaul on the French coast.

34 min

07: Hannibal Crosses the Alps, 218 BCE

Hannibal is famous for crossing the treacherous Alps. See how the young general transported his soldiers—as well as a cadre of elephants—across the mighty Rhone River. Investigate the obstacles that faced Hannibal and his army throughout their mountainous journey. And take stock of the impact of Carthage’s incredibly bold incursion into Italy.

33 min

08: First Victories: Ticinus and Trebbia

Where did Rome stand, by the time Hannibal arrived in Northern Italy? What do we make of the famed commander’s impressive victory against powerful Roman forces and generals in Trebbia? And how was the skirmish—devastating for Rome, but great for Hannibal and Carthage—interpreted and explained by contemporaries? Tackle these questions and more.

30 min

09: The Romans Panic: Lake Trasimene, 217 BCE

Outmaneuvered and outflanked, the mood in Rome quickly soured. Follow Hannibal’s diverse army of Nubian, Celtic, and Carthaginian men on their trek to Picenum, paying special attention to Hannibal’s incredible ambush of Roman commander Flaminius and his army at Lake Trasimene. Then, focus on how Romans from different walks of life responded back home.

32 min

10: Cannae: Hannibal’s Great Victory, 216 BCE

Follow Carthaginian troops as they hunkered down for the winter in Geronium only to reemerge stronger in the summer of 216 BCE. See how Rome’s Fabian strategy of containment played out, zeroing in on especially “bullish” confrontation as an example. Break down the Battle of Cannae, a skirmish that cemented Hannibal’s historic reputation.

34 min

11: Southern Italy Rebels against Rome

Buoyed by victory, why was the famed Carthaginian general so hesitant about attacking Rome itself? How did both Rome and Carthage take the news of Hannibal’s plunder of the Italian peninsula? What, ultimately, led to the defection of a key Roman ally, the city of Capua? And what condition was the Carthaginian army in after the partnership? Consider these and other questions.

33 min

12: Macedon and the Fall of Syracuse, 212 BCE

See how both Rome and Carthage sustained themselves in terms of money, manpower, and supplies in this critical period. Then, turn your attention to Macedonia and the allegiance it pursued with Carthage. End with a blow-by-blow account of a major turning point in the Second Punic War: the fall of Syracuse to Rome.

39 min

13: The Scipii and the 10-Year War for Iberia

Rome won the Second Punic War, not in Italy, but in Iberia and North Africa. Delve into both theaters, getting to know key characters, like the formidable Roman Scipiones family. Look at how a series of military victories, along with a leadership shake-up, handed Iberia to the Romans.

36 min

14: The Tide Turns against Carthage, 209–205 BCE

By 209 BCE, Carthage found itself in trouble. Dive into the many factors behind Hasdrubal’s devastating defeat at the hands of Claudius Nero in the Second Punic War. See how Rome used Hannibal’s own military tactics against him. And, set the scene for Carthage’s eventual ruin in North Africa.

35 min

15: Hannibal’s Defeat, Escape, and Final Years

End the course by reconstructing the long resolution of the Second Punic War from confrontations in North Africa to the Battle of Zama. Examine the showdown between Roman-allied Masinissa and Carthage-allied Syphax. And explore what became of Hannibal and his homeland in the aftermath of defeat.

37 min