I found your hardcore history podcast 2 days ago and have been bingeing on your various episodes as if it were a Netflix series. Keep it up man your story telling skills are on a higher level
I am really happy to hear that you like my podcast - and it’s awesome to hear that it has prompted a binge watching experience. I intend to continue - but comments like this are the fuel that keeps a podcaster going. Let me know what you think when you get to the end of the Punic Wars. All the best!
Absolutely spectacular work, congratulations. This and your other episodes are right up there, and possibly surpass hardcore history which is not something I thought I'd ever say about a historical podcast. Thank you so much for the effort you've put into this.
Luckily I am one of those who,s been reading about Roman history for around 32 years.Ive read many different accounts of the Punic wars and I was one of those that caught episode 6 and was hugely impressed!!!So impressed I followed your advice and went back to the start.Your personal opinion and humour makes something that I know of very well worth watching again. I can't get over just how good your writing actually is.Even a difference of opinion on certain points doesn't become annoying in the least and that is a great oratory skill. Absolutely brilliant series that I too, would advise anybody that has seen maybe one or two episodes to go back to the start and watch it all in order.I promise you will not be disappointed!!Subscribed today and I'm eagerly awaiting any future series that you decide to do. Maybe you would consider another series on a very complicated war,The Peloponnesian War.You,ve done an excellent job with a tricky war like this one and made it easy for everyone to understand. Superb skill,thank you so much for all of your time and effort on this huge part of Roman history..Disclaimer No I have not received any payment for this comment!! I should be so lucky!!,cheers mate! 😁😁😁👍👍👍
I love this comment. Not just cause you're giving praise - but more so that you have a lot of insight and experience in this field and still like the work. Appreciate it!
@@FlashPointHx Thanks for your kind words.Yes,I see the work that has gone into this.You definitely have a talent that should be shared.Good luck with all of your future endeavours.👍
@@FlashPointHx If your talent translates as well to paper there is no reason that one day I would expect to see you on the shelf between Tom Holland and Mary Beard.I seriously mean that.Thanks for taking me through a portion of history that in my early fifties I didn't expect to visit again!It was like a good book that you just can't put down. Thank you for making this time off work(sickness) very enjoyable. Cheers.😁👍
@@shaundavenport621 Wow - thanks for the vote of confidence. When my little one is past pre-school and I have more time, I think I'll give a book more serious thought
I have been going to bed, late at night, listening to your podcasts. Your narration skills are outstanding, so your knowledge of History. I do really enjoy your Channel. Thanks for sharing, keep it up and keep it coming.
@@FlashPointHx Believe it or not, they help me sleep, and for some strange reason I don't forget the story you tell, it goes deep inside my head. And the next morning I remember everything, I can see the story you tell inside my head like I'm watching a movie. I happen to be a hardcore Military History fan. Specially the Ancient age warfare period. I did really enjoy all your episodes about the Punic Wars, So the Reconquista ones about the medieval warfare in Spain. Those ones one look amazing, the graphics look great. I also download your podcasts, I have yours in my Military History collection military video files. I collect videos like the ones you make for my own personal use when looking for reference and historical details. So the ones from King and Generals, You both are among my top 10 Channels in RUclips. I have been following both of you for over 2 years and I really enjoy and lean a lot from what you guys do. I have seen other channels, but to me, you and King and Generals are the best so far. So keep it up and keep them coming, and thanks for the reply and for sharing. Have a great day. Thanks.
I really enjoyed the podcasts made by you and especially the passion you put into it and I know how it feels to have passion with ancient history. Well done.
Love your podcast.! I’ve always enjoyed learning about Historical periods. Have been reading/listening to info on the Siege of Rhodes and Malta. Your podcast popped up on RUclips and I was blown away. Love your analogies and occasional sarcasm ... within great details and video content. Your delivery style is informative, well researched and as a listener I can hear your enthusiasm/interest in the subject matter. THANK YOU.!! Thank you for making History - Fresh and interesting. I first heard part 3. Had to start at the beginning and have been engrossed/engaged in each episode. I’m listening for a second time. Love it.! You have a new sub. Thanks again. I’ll be spreading the word about your podcast. Cheers
Wow - thanks for the awesome comment. Can’t believe you’ve heard this whole series twice! Yes, I love history and I’m happy that you can hear that in my content. Let me know what you think of the next series :)
Flash Point History Will do. It’s pretty safe to say that I’m going to enjoy it. If history was taught like this in school ... I’m certain young people wouldn’t find History “boring”. I like the way you use other Historical examples to clarify points you’re making. It’s a great technique. As before - Thank you.!
Another superior podcast! You strike an excellent balance in surveying the many events of the period between the First and Second Punic Wars. Adrian Goldsworthy is a preeminent scholar on the Punic Wars (as well as on Julius Caesar) hence I really appreciate your reliance on his work. As an aside, the Mercenary war unfortunately is not well documented. For fun, readers may enjoy the historical fiction novel "Salammbo" by Gustave Flaubert. He did his homework and paints a vivid picture of this gruesome war.
Hey, I am both sad and happy I found your channel. Happy cause man, you got some really good very little covered topics and your style is a good in betwen carlin and duncan but sad because your videos are too damn interesting to watch at work cause I actually wanna pay attention...
Your podcast has made me fall in love with Hannibal. Hearing all the episodes for the second time. Your way of narration is brilliant and the way you've woven the story with small anecdotes is really enchanting. I will definitely spread the word about your podcast and you've a new subscriber here. P.S. - I simply love your voice.
Glad you enjoyed it! I found making this series to be such a journey myself and tying it together with anecdotes seemed to make the history more accessible. Happy to have you apart of this !
Amazing series. Well thought out, great visual aides, and insightful narration. Only complaint (very minor I guess) is that Celts are pronounced with a "hard C" like "Kelts", which is mostly because in Celtic languages there is no "soft C" sound, and the way the Latin spelling is reflects that as well (Boston Celtics have it wrong too). This is mostly a heads up in case you were planning on doing Caesar's Gallic campaigns.Thank you! Can't wait to see what other Roman histories you have planned for the future!
Hey thanks! I'm glad you liked the series. The next episode "The Return of the Scipi" is coming out in a week or so. As far as Ceasar in Gaul - this is a topic ripe for a Podcast of its own! Thanks so much about the point on the Celts - they are going to be a prominent part of the latter portion of the 2nd Punic War and I''ll keep your point on pronunciation in mind. All the best.
“ Always mystify, mislead and surprise your enemy... when you strike and overcome him never let up in your pursuit... never fight against heavy odds when you can throw your army on his weakest point and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one and repeated victory will make it invincible.” -Stonewall Jackson
I travelled with a friend of mine to the Shenandoah valley JUST to trace Stonewall Jackson's impressive '62 Valley Campaign. The man was a master. Guderian, Rommel, Patton, and every general since were taking notes from him
@@FlashPointHx It just seems to be how many great generals have waged war. Entice the enemy to chase you, lead him to your chosen ground, spring your trap, crush him. Hannibal did it, The Mongols did it, and I'm pretty sure Napoleon did it too.
Isn't that fundamentally wrong though, his last statement? A small army that is forced to fight over time will always be grinded down bc it can't rely on easy levies. Thats how both Hannibal and the Lee lost, they couldn't afford to lose too much of their armies but the more you fight, the more are unavailable to fight later. Pretty sure in terms of victory, Phillip/Alexander and the Early Muslim Conquests are the only examples of consistently smaller armies who overwhelm larger foes over a couple generations, but even then you're talking about good levies, lines of supply and stronger commanders. No master of war can overcome bad logistics or a lack of fresh recruits.
@@geordiejones5618 This is true, however I think what he means by "repeated victory" is not "constantly fighting and winning", more like "having consistent success." If that makes any sense.
This is going to get epic... Excitement for history is a unique joy. I'd like to write more... But you know, pt4 is calling. Enjoying the addiction thoroughly.
Hannibal came into power in the same year as the founding of the Qin Dynasty in China. I love it. It makes it easier to keep various events in perspective.
I agree - My latest podcast on Moorish Spain I have to add in concurrent events like the Crusaders, the Battle of Hastings, the attacks on Constantinople etc.
His son being there is so heroic and romantic that I really doubt it. Then again, what else would you have to do in order to get praised by your enemy.
most of what affects and impacts the lives of the vast majority of people is now and always has been in the hands of very few powerful people who guide and decide and manipulate and control everything.
Hamilcar and Hannibal must have felt like divine intervention for those who were loyal to Carthage and fearful that the Romans would seek to destroy them. Its a shame that even if Carthage had better pressed their advantages in the First Punic War, its doubtful they can defeat Rome and keep them under their thumb permanently. They seemed unwilling to muster troops for an invasion of Italy and/or seige of Rome, but by the time Hannibal shows up, the Romans are simply too stubborn with too many potential levies. They were never gonna relent unless Carthage demolished the Eternal City.
Can't wait to hear more about the Mercenary War, the least covered event in the Punic wars... and an especially gruesome one. I wonder what made the Romans decide not too take another jab at Carthage during this unrest. Did they actually care for their reputation regarding adherence to treaties? Or perhaps they were not keen on supporting something that could be viewed as a revolutionnary uprising, that may encourage other Italian entities to question Rome's hegemony once more. EDIT: Great, I've just realised Rome did capitalise on Carthage's weakness by annexing Corsica and Sardinia 😅
I was going say - Rome went for the low hanging fruit - logistics to getting troops into N africa without securing the middle of the Medit. would have been hard. Merc wars were vicious. Hamilcar was forced to turn on his own men and used starvation to do his work for him
By the way and referring to the preceding episode, your mispronounciation of Pyrrhus' name is actually rather neat because you can here "fire" in it 🔥 And that dovetails with his allegedly hot temper and decisiveness.
What would have happened if Winston Churchill hadn't said 'No, we're gonna continue fighting' ....? Hmmmmm.... something akin to paradise relative to today's world. Come on, guy, you're good at digging into history... now cast that objective eye over the second world war. It's incredible how few have the courage or inclination to do so when it shapes so much of our world. But those who do get their eyes opened to so many things.
There is a what if scenario that I read about - what if Lord Halifax came to power instead of Churchill. In the wake of Dunkirk and the defeat of France, England makes peace with Hitler. Germany - now without a western front to fight on, continues on its path and attacks the Soviet Union - but inevitably the USSR pushes the Germans back and wins. However, without the western allies to intervene, the Russians take the entire Axis holdings - including Italy, France, and the Balkans. Whats more, the Russians find and exploit ALL the German technology in regards to the atom bomb, jets, and rocketry. Thus the USSR, instead of the US, develops the bomb first - and the rockets to deliver them. I'm going to likely make a series on Rommel in North Africa at some point. . .
@@FlashPointHx since im not native english speaker i have some clues with your question. In my language Hannon is by most mentioned as Gannon. But maybe this influenced by russian style of history name trascription, wich often springs in my language history literature. But after google i think You are right. Native Carthaginians can be all on "H". Massinisa and few known Iberian comanders are on side of Carthago, but they not Carthaginians.
Hello just wondering if throughout the series you’ll mention Dido again? You’re my first real introduction into the Punic wars I have a very basic understanding and realizations at names and places ( don’t even remember them from HS) and I tried looking on google but was confused with all the info.. thanks again love the videos even if I’m a few years late 😬☺️☺️
I'm such a nerd -.- Lol! I got my friend on this too. It's an aquired taste which sadly a lot of people don't partake in. I'm into your Spain/Moors series as well bro. Fantastic job.
Nice!! Good to hear you like the videos! Yes podcasts and RUclips episodes don't always mesh well. A totally different type of audience. Its difficult to find a balance to make everyone happy.
it's the politicians (the Suffets and 104) that lack military insight. in the end ALL the politicians would have served Carthage better by being military commanders themselves since the Romans destroyed Carthage in a genocidal fury 15 years after Hannibal's death. these politicians couldn't see what the military commanders saw they weren't doing the foot work, they didn't do the feats or personally fight in battle. because of this the politicians lacked foresight that Hamilcar and Hannibal developed from fighting like men, literally trekking through land whether it be Sicily (Hamilcar) Italy and Rome (Hannibal) etc. footwork and trekking helps one to develop foresight. in the end its the politicians failure to act that caused the destruction of Carthage.
28:24 As this history comes down to us from Roman writers, particularly Polybius, I wonder how much this divide of two factions, one conservative and one populist, is how it actually was rather then what was imprinted on it by Romans based on their own politics.
@@FlashPointHx For all I might nitpick how much we can trust the ancient sources, I am still greatly thankful to have them. When I think on how much has been forever lost to history I want to weep. Why did you write on papyrus Phoenicians!!? Why didn't you use something more durable?!
At 30:40 your source is mistranslated as what Hamilcar had his children swear to. What Hamilcar had them literally do was "Swear to never be a friend of Rome". Without understanding the context many believed this to mean swear to be the enemy of Rome. However the phrase "Friend of Rome" had a very specific special meaning at the time. If your country was a "Friend of Rome" it meant your state was a Vassel State or one step from being an official province of Rome. For example Just before Julius Caesar broke the treaty Ariovistus was a "Friend of Rome". This meant if Rome called on your to do something you HAD to do it. Another example of this was Greece after the first Macedonian War. No quite a province but you are only one step away from being a province. Sorry for the minor nitpick as I absolutely love this series and have listened through multiple times.
Actually this is a really good point! You're spot on - no one knows which statement it was. Either to always be an enemy to Rome or to never be a friend to Rome. The first implies to always be at war and carry on the family trade of killing Romans; whereas the latter implies a more political statement of maintaining a distance to the Roman Republic.
@@FlashPointHx Yeah, you can tell it either way and still be right and have sources to back up either position. I find these moments in history that are still contentious among scholars some of the most interesting bits of ancient history. The Narrative of Hamilcar to forcing his kids to swear to forever be the Enemy of Rome is a more compelling story so I don't blame you for using that version.
I am really late but I am going back through your channel and I feel like you missed an opportunity to have the fourth part of this series called a new hope
In Carthage herself ? No - sadly there are not that many references that I’ve found. Most of the history is taken from Livy. But for the time of the Punic Wars you can’t go wrong with anything written by Adrian Goldsworthy or Barry Strauss
Great work thanks but most helpful when you say carth went to war with sargento...the old roman name, that you say true geographis name in the present.
I would caution against characterizing Carthage as full of a bunch of money grubbing misers motivated only by the next shekel. To be sure enterprise was the core of their society but in many ways this civilization and culture was some 2,200 years ahead of its time, more closely resembling modern times where by and large capitalism is preeminent and has shaped the world in which we live today. GREAT series by the way!
I agree - sorry if this wasn't conveyed enough - Carthage was a great nation while Rome was a bunch of huts on the Tiber. There engineering capacity alone in constructing one of the greatest harbors in antiquity was unrivaled. But in the context of the Punic Wars its lack of military discipline and financial focus was a key factor in its downfall. The fact that it could still go toe to toe with Rome for as long as it did attests to its greatness - but what if it had Rome's military conviction and discipline (we are talking about early Rome)? What if it used citizen soldiers instead of mercenaries? What if Hanno the Great had more strongly supported Hannibal after his victory at Cannae - as the Roman senate did for its victorious generals? I think the map of the ancient world would have looked much different. I'm glad you liked the series.
Yes, indeed the Carthaginian mind was wired differently. It would seem the nexus of their problems of commitment to see things all the way through rests at the feet of a bipolar government with two philosophies of thought in how they interacted with foreign peoples. Those of course being the seaward expansionists and the "landed class" that was more isolationist and keen on developing the surrounding areas of North Africa. I believe it was the latter school of thought that would indirectly doom this great civilization for once locked in a war with Rome (whether or not it was a fight of their choosing) they were messing with a power that would accept losses most states would never fathom to achieve their goals. To win against such a determined and focused people they would need what is known today as a "Total War" strategy if it was going to be successful. You'd have thought that Carthage would have drawn on its mistakes during the 1st Punic War when they quite often put the interest of prosecuting the war on the backburner over the course of its 23 year duration. Even during the 4th Century BC Carthage's desultory commitment to the war with Syracuse and Greek settlements on the eastern half of Sicily shows a pattern of behavior here.
Well put! I had in mind to develop a "what if" scenario - Had Hannibal marched on Rome in 216 rather than in 211 and brought Rome to the bargaining table - would Carthage become the predominate power? Would Rome succumb with the loss of her hegemony on central Italy and loss of its territorial acquisitions in Sardinia, Sicily, Illyria, Spain etc - or would she still ascend to power? Would Carthage have expanded and begun the laborious process of colonizing Europe instead of the other way round? Did a relatively advanced civilization like Carthage even have the gumption to achieve this greatness of its own Mare Nostrum, lacking a military core? Or would Carthage have become the English Empire of antiquity - a mercantile power were the sun would never set on her acquisitions - and settle the new world in the 3rd or 4th century?
Flash Point History Ahh yes, I too have pondered the "what if" scenario of Hannibal going for the grand prize in attempting the sack of Rome. You posit an interesting concept of Hannibal ostensibly investing the city in a protracted siege not so much for her unconditional surrender but rather to force terms. I guess knowing the Romans like I do it would be hard to imagine then entertaining any notion of a settlement that would naturally be humiliating with many of the surviving aristocrats preferring annihilation. Regarding the probability of success in actually breaching the walls and taking the city, I think there was a reason Hannibal didn't attempt this. Hannibal new Rome had the ability to call upon the vast resources of Italy and her people, many of which as you pointed out had been extended Roman citizenship. He also probably correctly judged that the nature of his less sophisticated Iberian & Celtic allies wouldn't lend itself so well to seeing a siege all the way through which would easily be a year or longer. The discipline was probably not there for that. Now forgetting about how Rome might have been taken or if the Romans had been humbled enough into a peace treaty it's hard to say for sure what impact such an event would have had long term to the development of Western Civilization. I don't know that Carthage had numbers necessary nor the mental wherewithal to actually want to form some sort of lasting hegemony over the Italian region. It's likely their influence would have been ephemeral with Carthage only jockeying to regain her lost possessions from the 1st Punic War (Sardinia, Corsica, western and middle Sicily). I certainly don't think the citizens of Rome would be worshiping Tanit and Melqart within a few years. It's likely Hannibal would have worked to effect a more factionalized picture in Italy, strengthening Magna Graecia, the Gaulic people in the Po River Valley, and what was left of the Etruscans and the Samnites, etc. In the end, there simply wasn't enough true Carthaginians to have been able to impose herself in a lasting way. I think within a generation or two that indomitable spirit of Rome would have risen and before long Rome would have been back with a literal vengeance. I think it would have simply been another blip on the map in much the same way Brennus's sack of Rome in 387 BC.
i think you are in denial.ALL the evidence proves that Carthage were money hungry businessmen. I liken them to wallstreet moguls who were more concerned with money ans not honor...this is why they did not have a real standing army..they would hire others to do their dirty work and sometimes not even pay them at one time..this is also why they refused to support the only man that fought for them without fatigue and even chased him away from carthage after he removed corruption and rot in the carthaginian goverment and how did they pay him? by exiling him and handing him over to the romans like spineless cowards who would do anything for money..they quite frankly deserved what they got after betraying barca
One question. Is it true carthage practiced child sacrifice? A documentary informed us that it was one of the factors on why Rome despised the carthage.
It is hard to say. Some claim that this is true and that there was evidence to back this up. However, I question how much of this is propaganda that was written by the victors. We have no Carthaginian references as they were all destroyed, so we are forced to rely on Roman sources for our information. One should approach this claim of child sacrifice with a healthy bit of suspicion
I'm really glad you liked the video - the next one is coming out in a week or so. I've never read this book - anything in particular that makes it a good read?
Of course - there will be another 3 episodes on the Punic Wars and then the next series will shift to Hernan Cortez and the Aztecs. There may also be a bonus "what if" episode.
Yes - the next two episodes will be on Hannibal, Scipio, and the 2nd Punic War and the last episode, titled "Delenda Est Carthago" will be about the 3rd Punic War.
The iberian peninsula was something that Rome wanted and had made inroads to taking it. Having Carthaginian presence there was a pain. Having Hamilcarl there was even worse, as he was the general that had opposed the Romans in Sicily for so long.
Textbooks emphasize the democracy of Republican Rome and tell the story of Imperial fascism. For me, am not too impressed with the episode of Imperial Rome. Iulius Caesar's utter disregard for Roman Law and such. Maybe it is just me.
I see repeated discrepancies in your narrative and it pushes me to believe that you either didn't prepare well or tendentiously leave historical facts aside. Illyria wasn't today Bosnia or Croatia(Dalmatia) but it had its center in today's Albania. Illyria began from Slovenia to Yannina and Thesaloniki, from Nissus to the Neretva (Narona) river up to the border with its Macedonian cousins. And the saying for the dangerous Adriatic river was not because it was unknown but because the Illyrians were first class sailors and had a military fleet that terrified them. Keep the facts right my man for history, without a proper and correct fact checking, becomes a fairy tale. Keep up the good work, thou correct the inaccuracies. Bye.
I listen to these casts multiple times a year. I consider this series as a masterpiece.
Wow - seriously ? Thats amazing - you've probably listened to me for hours then
@@FlashPointHx I'd say for days. And the story and how you tell it still excites me.
@FlashPointHx We consistently return to this playlist. It is extraordinary.
I found your hardcore history podcast 2 days ago and have been bingeing on your various episodes as if it were a Netflix series. Keep it up man your story telling skills are on a higher level
I am really happy to hear that you like my podcast - and it’s awesome to hear that it has prompted a binge watching experience. I intend to continue - but comments like this are the fuel that keeps a podcaster going. Let me know what you think when you get to the end of the Punic Wars. All the best!
Absolutely spectacular work, congratulations. This and your other episodes are right up there, and possibly surpass hardcore history which is not something I thought I'd ever say about a historical podcast. Thank you so much for the effort you've put into this.
Wow! That is truly high praise. Thank you for the kind words.
Thank you for doing such a great job of making the complex easy to understand. Bravo!
Hey, I'm really happy that you liked my content - I hope you listen to the rest of it!
Big history buff, very detailed and nicely done. You did a lot of research for all your programs, you must love history. Thank you.
Well found your podcast a few days ago and cannot turn it off. How does this not have more likes? Keep up the great work here's one for the algorithm
Welcome aboard! Yeah the YT algorithm is a mystery to me
It seems individuals make history., more than billions. Another great video !
Thank you very much.
Welcome 😊
Luckily I am one of those who,s been reading about Roman history for around 32 years.Ive read many different accounts of the Punic wars and I was one of those that caught episode 6 and was hugely impressed!!!So impressed I followed your advice and went back to the start.Your personal opinion and humour makes something that I know of very well worth watching again. I can't get over just how good your writing actually is.Even a difference of opinion on certain points doesn't become annoying in the least and that is a great oratory skill. Absolutely brilliant series that I too, would advise anybody that has seen maybe one or two episodes to go back to the start and watch it all in order.I promise you will not be disappointed!!Subscribed today and I'm eagerly awaiting any future series that you decide to do. Maybe you would consider another series on a very complicated war,The Peloponnesian War.You,ve done an excellent job with a tricky war like this one and made it easy for everyone to understand. Superb skill,thank you so much for all of your time and effort on this huge part of Roman history..Disclaimer No I have not received any payment for this comment!! I should be so lucky!!,cheers mate! 😁😁😁👍👍👍
I love this comment. Not just cause you're giving praise - but more so that you have a lot of insight and experience in this field and still like the work. Appreciate it!
@@FlashPointHx Thanks for your kind words.Yes,I see the work that has gone into this.You definitely have a talent that should be shared.Good luck with all of your future endeavours.👍
@@FlashPointHx If your talent translates as well to paper there is no reason that one day I would expect to see you on the shelf between Tom Holland and Mary Beard.I seriously mean that.Thanks for taking me through a portion of history that in my early fifties I didn't expect to visit again!It was like a good book that you just can't put down. Thank you for making this time off work(sickness) very enjoyable. Cheers.😁👍
@@shaundavenport621 Wow - thanks for the vote of confidence. When my little one is past pre-school and I have more time, I think I'll give a book more serious thought
I have been going to bed, late at night, listening to your podcasts. Your narration skills are outstanding, so your knowledge of History. I do really enjoy your Channel. Thanks for sharing, keep it up and keep it coming.
Thanks! Hope you don't lose too much sleep on my account
@@FlashPointHx Believe it or not, they help me sleep, and for some strange reason I don't forget the story you tell, it goes deep inside my head. And the next morning I remember everything, I can see the story you tell inside my head like I'm watching a movie. I happen to be a hardcore Military History fan. Specially the Ancient age warfare period. I did really enjoy all your episodes about the Punic Wars, So the Reconquista ones about the medieval warfare in Spain. Those ones one look amazing, the graphics look great. I also download your podcasts, I have yours in my Military History collection military video files. I collect videos like the ones you make for my own personal use when looking for reference and historical details. So the ones from King and Generals, You both are among my top 10 Channels in RUclips. I have been following both of you for over 2 years and I really enjoy and lean a lot from what you guys do. I have seen other channels, but to me, you and King and Generals are the best so far. So keep it up and keep them coming, and thanks for the reply and for sharing. Have a great day. Thanks.
I really enjoyed the podcasts made by you and especially the passion you put into it and I know how it feels to have passion with ancient history. Well done.
Thank you!! Yes, I loved making this series - I’m happy that you liked it
those videos are as awesome as avangers endgame... rewacthing the whole series the third time now
9 on ok 9o oops ooo
L I oo I oooooouuuuu ok I oooooouuuuu poloo lol lloool on o ok oooooouuuuu oooooouuuuu l
Quarantine never seem so good....well done bro
ha! Glad I could help
Love your podcast.! I’ve always enjoyed learning about Historical periods. Have been reading/listening to info on the Siege of Rhodes and Malta. Your podcast popped up on RUclips and I was blown away. Love your analogies and occasional sarcasm ... within great details and video content. Your delivery style is informative, well researched and as a listener I can hear your enthusiasm/interest in the subject matter. THANK YOU.!! Thank you for making History - Fresh and interesting. I first heard part 3. Had to start at the beginning and have been engrossed/engaged in each episode. I’m listening for a second time. Love it.! You have a new sub. Thanks again. I’ll be spreading the word about your podcast.
Cheers
Wow - thanks for the awesome comment. Can’t believe you’ve heard this whole series twice! Yes, I love history and I’m happy that you can hear that in my content. Let me know what you think of the next series :)
Flash Point History
Will do. It’s pretty safe to say that I’m going to enjoy it. If history was taught like this in school ... I’m certain young people wouldn’t find History “boring”. I like the way you use other Historical examples to clarify points you’re making. It’s a great technique. As before - Thank you.!
Another superior podcast! You strike an excellent balance in surveying the many events of the period between the First and Second Punic Wars.
Adrian Goldsworthy is a preeminent scholar on the Punic Wars (as well as on Julius Caesar) hence I really appreciate your reliance on his work.
As an aside, the Mercenary war unfortunately is not well documented. For fun, readers may enjoy the historical fiction novel "Salammbo" by Gustave Flaubert. He did his homework and paints a vivid picture of this gruesome war.
You’re a legend. Love the videos. Thanks for the amazing content.
I appreciate that! Thanks for the comment Anon
Hey, I am both sad and happy I found your channel. Happy cause man, you got some really good very little covered topics and your style is a good in betwen carlin and duncan but sad because your videos are too damn interesting to watch at work cause I actually wanna pay attention...
I love series more than I love sleep. Thanks for taking the time to make something so awesome and entertaining!
Thanks for this one, really funny to think about the meeting in the tent.
This better then history channel
granted, that isn't hard
AND AGAIN, THUMBS UP MAN FOR THE EPIC WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AND GOOD LUCK
Your podcast has made me fall in love with Hannibal. Hearing all the episodes for the second time. Your way of narration is brilliant and the way you've woven the story with small anecdotes is really enchanting. I will definitely spread the word about your podcast and you've a new subscriber here.
P.S. - I simply love your voice.
Glad you enjoyed it! I found making this series to be such a journey myself and tying it together with anecdotes seemed to make the history more accessible. Happy to have you apart of this !
Amazing series. Well thought out, great visual aides, and insightful narration. Only complaint (very minor I guess) is that Celts are pronounced with a "hard C" like "Kelts", which is mostly because in Celtic languages there is no "soft C" sound, and the way the Latin spelling is reflects that as well (Boston Celtics have it wrong too). This is mostly a heads up in case you were planning on doing Caesar's Gallic campaigns.Thank you! Can't wait to see what other Roman histories you have planned for the future!
Hey thanks! I'm glad you liked the series. The next episode "The Return of the Scipi" is coming out in a week or so. As far as Ceasar in Gaul - this is a topic ripe for a Podcast of its own! Thanks so much about the point on the Celts - they are going to be a prominent part of the latter portion of the 2nd Punic War and I''ll keep your point on pronunciation in mind. All the best.
“ Always mystify, mislead and surprise your enemy... when you strike and overcome him never let up in your pursuit... never fight against heavy odds when you can throw your army on his weakest point and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one and repeated victory will make it invincible.” -Stonewall Jackson
I travelled with a friend of mine to the Shenandoah valley JUST to trace Stonewall Jackson's impressive '62 Valley Campaign. The man was a master. Guderian, Rommel, Patton, and every general since were taking notes from him
@@FlashPointHx It just seems to be how many great generals have waged war. Entice the enemy to chase you, lead him to your chosen ground, spring your trap, crush him. Hannibal did it, The Mongols did it, and I'm pretty sure Napoleon did it too.
Isn't that fundamentally wrong though, his last statement? A small army that is forced to fight over time will always be grinded down bc it can't rely on easy levies. Thats how both Hannibal and the Lee lost, they couldn't afford to lose too much of their armies but the more you fight, the more are unavailable to fight later. Pretty sure in terms of victory, Phillip/Alexander and the Early Muslim Conquests are the only examples of consistently smaller armies who overwhelm larger foes over a couple generations, but even then you're talking about good levies, lines of supply and stronger commanders. No master of war can overcome bad logistics or a lack of fresh recruits.
@@geordiejones5618 This is true, however I think what he means by "repeated victory" is not "constantly fighting and winning", more like "having consistent success." If that makes any sense.
Great analysis.
Thanks!
Thank you for your amazing job, your videos are pretty good. I send Hi from Brazil !
Thank you very much! I would love to visit your country! Closest I've been is Peru
This is going to get epic... Excitement for history is a unique joy. I'd like to write more... But you know, pt4 is calling. Enjoying the addiction thoroughly.
hahah - thanks for the comment and let me know what you think when you finish the series - its not a journey for the casual history person ;)
Really enjoying your podcasts and shared it with my Podcast group on Facebook. Maybe you'll get a few more subscribers. Thanks for posting.
Really appreciate that!!
Keep up the excellent work
Hannibal came into power in the same year as the founding of the Qin Dynasty in China. I love it. It makes it easier to keep various events in perspective.
I agree - My latest podcast on Moorish Spain I have to add in concurrent events like the Crusaders, the Battle of Hastings, the attacks on Constantinople etc.
Any review I do will fall short. So thank you I will just give for this absolutely amazing stuff.
His son being there is so heroic and romantic that I really doubt it. Then again, what else would you have to do in order to get praised by your enemy.
Truly excellent, love the content..
Thank you so much!
A New Hope: May The Barca Be With You.
hahaha. Wait till you get to Hannibal Strikes Back
"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam"
Hannibal the man who actually found his way!
I have this on a coffee mug
most of what affects and impacts the lives of the vast majority of people is now and always has been in the hands of very few powerful people who guide and decide and manipulate and control everything.
Binge worthy for sure
let me know what you think when you get to the end =)
@@FlashPointHx i will
Hamilcar and Hannibal must have felt like divine intervention for those who were loyal to Carthage and fearful that the Romans would seek to destroy them. Its a shame that even if Carthage had better pressed their advantages in the First Punic War, its doubtful they can defeat Rome and keep them under their thumb permanently. They seemed unwilling to muster troops for an invasion of Italy and/or seige of Rome, but by the time Hannibal shows up, the Romans are simply too stubborn with too many potential levies. They were never gonna relent unless Carthage demolished the Eternal City.
Always pay off the mercenaries. Got it!
And if they get out of line, eliminate them
Can't wait to hear more about the Mercenary War, the least covered event in the Punic wars... and an especially gruesome one. I wonder what made the Romans decide not too take another jab at Carthage during this unrest. Did they actually care for their reputation regarding adherence to treaties? Or perhaps they were not keen on supporting something that could be viewed as a revolutionnary uprising, that may encourage other Italian entities to question Rome's hegemony once more. EDIT: Great, I've just realised Rome did capitalise on Carthage's weakness by annexing Corsica and Sardinia 😅
I was going say - Rome went for the low hanging fruit - logistics to getting troops into N africa without securing the middle of the Medit. would have been hard. Merc wars were vicious. Hamilcar was forced to turn on his own men and used starvation to do his work for him
Great video
+Jack Really glad you liked it - 2nd Punic War is just so Epic
I'm still rooting for Carthage!
I know - me too =)
By the way and referring to the preceding episode, your mispronounciation of Pyrrhus' name is actually rather neat because you can here "fire" in it 🔥 And that dovetails with his allegedly hot temper and decisiveness.
hahaah - i cringe a bit when I listen to this again
What would have happened if Winston Churchill hadn't said 'No, we're gonna continue fighting' ....?
Hmmmmm.... something akin to paradise relative to today's world.
Come on, guy, you're good at digging into history... now cast that objective eye over the second world war.
It's incredible how few have the courage or inclination to do so when it shapes so much of our world.
But those who do get their eyes opened to so many things.
There is a what if scenario that I read about - what if Lord Halifax came to power instead of Churchill. In the wake of Dunkirk and the defeat of France, England makes peace with Hitler. Germany - now without a western front to fight on, continues on its path and attacks the Soviet Union - but inevitably the USSR pushes the Germans back and wins. However, without the western allies to intervene, the Russians take the entire Axis holdings - including Italy, France, and the Balkans. Whats more, the Russians find and exploit ALL the German technology in regards to the atom bomb, jets, and rocketry. Thus the USSR, instead of the US, develops the bomb first - and the rockets to deliver them. I'm going to likely make a series on Rommel in North Africa at some point. . .
@@greg_4201 speaking of research... Do any?
Biggest flaw by carthaginians was apointing multiple Hano as generals and admirals. Just two Hano was slightly sucesful in one or at most two battles.
@@tadasdovii8262 I kept thinking - did they ever have names that didn’t start with an ‘H’?
@@FlashPointHx since im not native english speaker i have some clues with your question. In my language Hannon is by most mentioned as Gannon. But maybe this influenced by russian style of history name trascription, wich often springs in my language history literature. But after google i think You are right. Native Carthaginians can be all on "H". Massinisa and few known Iberian comanders are on side of Carthago, but they not Carthaginians.
Hello just wondering if throughout the series you’ll mention Dido again? You’re my first real introduction into the Punic wars I have a very basic understanding and realizations at names and places ( don’t even remember them from HS) and I tried looking on google but was confused with all the info..
thanks again love the videos even if I’m a few years late 😬☺️☺️
Walter White reading history... love it...❤️
I'm such a nerd -.- Lol! I got my friend on this too. It's an aquired taste which sadly a lot of people don't partake in. I'm into your Spain/Moors series as well bro. Fantastic job.
Nice!! Good to hear you like the videos! Yes podcasts and RUclips episodes don't always mesh well. A totally different type of audience. Its difficult to find a balance to make everyone happy.
it's the politicians (the Suffets and 104) that lack military insight. in the end ALL the politicians would have served Carthage better by being military commanders themselves since the Romans destroyed Carthage in a genocidal fury 15 years after Hannibal's death. these politicians couldn't see what the military commanders saw they weren't doing the foot work, they didn't do the feats or personally fight in battle. because of this the politicians lacked foresight that Hamilcar and Hannibal developed from fighting like men, literally trekking through land whether it be Sicily (Hamilcar) Italy and Rome (Hannibal) etc. footwork and trekking helps one to develop foresight. in the end its the politicians failure to act that caused the destruction of Carthage.
same could be said about the commanders of the early American Civil War. Until grant came along, Lee was having a field day.
28:24 As this history comes down to us from Roman writers, particularly Polybius, I wonder how much this divide of two factions, one conservative and one populist, is how it actually was rather then what was imprinted on it by Romans based on their own politics.
I would love to read a "Secret History of the Carthaginians" written by the Carthaginians
@@FlashPointHx For all I might nitpick how much we can trust the ancient sources, I am still greatly thankful to have them. When I think on how much has been forever lost to history I want to weep. Why did you write on papyrus Phoenicians!!? Why didn't you use something more durable?!
At 30:40 your source is mistranslated as what Hamilcar had his children swear to. What Hamilcar had them literally do was "Swear to never be a friend of Rome". Without understanding the context many believed this to mean swear to be the enemy of Rome. However the phrase "Friend of Rome" had a very specific special meaning at the time. If your country was a "Friend of Rome" it meant your state was a Vassel State or one step from being an official province of Rome. For example Just before Julius Caesar broke the treaty Ariovistus was a "Friend of Rome". This meant if Rome called on your to do something you HAD to do it. Another example of this was Greece after the first Macedonian War. No quite a province but you are only one step away from being a province. Sorry for the minor nitpick as I absolutely love this series and have listened through multiple times.
Actually this is a really good point! You're spot on - no one knows which statement it was. Either to always be an enemy to Rome or to never be a friend to Rome. The first implies to always be at war and carry on the family trade of killing Romans; whereas the latter implies a more political statement of maintaining a distance to the Roman Republic.
@@FlashPointHx Yeah, you can tell it either way and still be right and have sources to back up either position. I find these moments in history that are still contentious among scholars some of the most interesting bits of ancient history.
The Narrative of Hamilcar to forcing his kids to swear to forever be the Enemy of Rome is a more compelling story so I don't blame you for using that version.
Ferengi... from the Star Terk next generation tv shows.
I am really late but I am going back through your channel and I feel like you missed an opportunity to have the fourth part of this series called a new hope
hahha - I know - but then the other parts wouldn't have fit - plenty of sci fi refs however in my content
aging like wine sir...
Do you have any recommendations for some books about Carthage?
Also great series
In Carthage herself ? No - sadly there are not that many references that I’ve found. Most of the history is taken from Livy. But for the time of the Punic Wars you can’t go wrong with anything written by Adrian Goldsworthy or Barry Strauss
@@ranniely what is that north israel?
Still waiting for 'A Phantom Barca'
I’m the Dude, y’know?
Or dude-a-rino if you're not into that whole brevity thing.
Great work thanks but most helpful when you say carth went to war with sargento...the old roman name, that you say true geographis name in the present.
I would caution against characterizing Carthage as full of a bunch of money grubbing misers motivated only by the next shekel. To be sure enterprise was the core of their society but in many ways this civilization and culture was some 2,200 years ahead of its time, more closely resembling modern times where by and large capitalism is preeminent and has shaped the world in which we live today.
GREAT series by the way!
I agree - sorry if this wasn't conveyed enough - Carthage was a great nation while Rome was a bunch of huts on the Tiber. There engineering capacity alone in constructing one of the greatest harbors in antiquity was unrivaled. But in the context of the Punic Wars its lack of military discipline and financial focus was a key factor in its downfall. The fact that it could still go toe to toe with Rome for as long as it did attests to its greatness - but what if it had Rome's military conviction and discipline (we are talking about early Rome)? What if it used citizen soldiers instead of mercenaries? What if Hanno the Great had more strongly supported Hannibal after his victory at Cannae - as the Roman senate did for its victorious generals? I think the map of the ancient world would have looked much different. I'm glad you liked the series.
Yes, indeed the Carthaginian mind was wired differently. It would seem the nexus of their problems of commitment to see things all the way through rests at the feet of a bipolar government with two philosophies of thought in how they interacted with foreign peoples. Those of course being the seaward expansionists and the "landed class" that was more isolationist and keen on developing the surrounding areas of North Africa. I believe it was the latter school of thought that would indirectly doom this great civilization for once locked in a war with Rome (whether or not it was a fight of their choosing) they were messing with a power that would accept losses most states would never fathom to achieve their goals. To win against such a determined and focused people they would need what is known today as a "Total War" strategy if it was going to be successful. You'd have thought that Carthage would have drawn on its mistakes during the 1st Punic War when they quite often put the interest of prosecuting the war on the backburner over the course of its 23 year duration. Even during the 4th Century BC Carthage's desultory commitment to the war with Syracuse and Greek settlements on the eastern half of Sicily shows a pattern of behavior here.
Well put! I had in mind to develop a "what if" scenario - Had Hannibal marched on Rome in 216 rather than in 211 and brought Rome to the bargaining table - would Carthage become the predominate power? Would Rome succumb with the loss of her hegemony on central Italy and loss of its territorial acquisitions in Sardinia, Sicily, Illyria, Spain etc - or would she still ascend to power? Would Carthage have expanded and begun the laborious process of colonizing Europe instead of the other way round? Did a relatively advanced civilization like Carthage even have the gumption to achieve this greatness of its own Mare Nostrum, lacking a military core? Or would Carthage have become the English Empire of antiquity - a mercantile power were the sun would never set on her acquisitions - and settle the new world in the 3rd or 4th century?
Flash Point History Ahh yes, I too have pondered the "what if" scenario of Hannibal going for the grand prize in attempting the sack of Rome. You posit an interesting concept of Hannibal ostensibly investing the city in a protracted siege not so much for her unconditional surrender but rather to force terms. I guess knowing the Romans like I do it would be hard to imagine then entertaining any notion of a settlement that would naturally be humiliating with many of the surviving aristocrats preferring annihilation. Regarding the probability of success in actually breaching the walls and taking the city, I think there was a reason Hannibal didn't attempt this. Hannibal new Rome had the ability to call upon the vast resources of Italy and her people, many of which as you pointed out had been extended Roman citizenship. He also probably correctly judged that the nature of his less sophisticated Iberian & Celtic allies wouldn't lend itself so well to seeing a siege all the way through which would easily be a year or longer. The discipline was probably not there for that.
Now forgetting about how Rome might have been taken or if the Romans had been humbled enough into a peace treaty it's hard to say for sure what impact such an event would have had long term to the development of Western Civilization. I don't know that Carthage had numbers necessary nor the mental wherewithal to actually want to form some sort of lasting hegemony over the Italian region. It's likely their influence would have been ephemeral with Carthage only jockeying to regain her lost possessions from the 1st Punic War (Sardinia, Corsica, western and middle Sicily). I certainly don't think the citizens of Rome would be worshiping Tanit and Melqart within a few years. It's likely Hannibal would have worked to effect a more factionalized picture in Italy, strengthening Magna Graecia, the Gaulic people in the Po River Valley, and what was left of the Etruscans and the Samnites, etc. In the end, there simply wasn't enough true Carthaginians to have been able to impose herself in a lasting way. I think within a generation or two that indomitable spirit of Rome would have risen and before long Rome would have been back with a literal vengeance. I think it would have simply been another blip on the map in much the same way Brennus's sack of Rome in 387 BC.
i think you are in denial.ALL the evidence proves that Carthage were money hungry businessmen. I liken them to wallstreet moguls who were more concerned with money ans not honor...this is why they did not have a real standing army..they would hire others to do their dirty work and sometimes not even pay them at one time..this is also why they refused to support the only man that fought for them without fatigue and even chased him away from carthage after he removed corruption and rot in the carthaginian goverment and how did they pay him? by exiling him and handing him over to the romans like spineless cowards who would do anything for money..they quite frankly deserved what they got after betraying barca
One question. Is it true carthage practiced child sacrifice? A documentary informed us that it was one of the factors on why Rome despised the carthage.
It is hard to say. Some claim that this is true and that there was evidence to back this up. However, I question how much of this is propaganda that was written by the victors. We have no Carthaginian references as they were all destroyed, so we are forced to rely on Roman sources for our information. One should approach this claim of child sacrifice with a healthy bit of suspicion
@@FlashPointHx the documentary I watched said they found thousands of child sacrifice burial sites.
Did you read the book, "The Rise of Rome" by Anthony Everitt? Cool videos by the way.
I'm really glad you liked the video - the next one is coming out in a week or so. I've never read this book - anything in particular that makes it a good read?
Flash Point History It basically covers everything from the kings of Rome to the Fall of the Republic.
Rome had to claw its way up from nothing and took serious black eyes all along the way. Sounds like an interesting read
I like the narrarator but I swear I'm like listening to Rod Serling when he talks,.Hilarious
ha!
is there more parts coming out
Of course - there will be another 3 episodes on the Punic Wars and then the next series will shift to Hernan Cortez and the Aztecs. There may also be a bonus "what if" episode.
+Flash Point History are you going to be talking about the third Punic war as well
Yes - the next two episodes will be on Hannibal, Scipio, and the 2nd Punic War and the last episode, titled "Delenda Est Carthago" will be about the 3rd Punic War.
+Flash Point History so bad it u listening to it Hannibal should have been justified but Rome has overstepped the treaty
Grosni means awesome, ivan grosni. Bit different than terrible or say unready.
Your history is descriptive
Happy you liked it
Why do you think didn't Rome really oppose Barcid expansion in Iberia? I mean, they acted rather aggressively in the preceding years...
The iberian peninsula was something that Rome wanted and had made inroads to taking it. Having Carthaginian presence there was a pain. Having Hamilcarl there was even worse, as he was the general that had opposed the Romans in Sicily for so long.
@@FlashPointHx Thanks :-) But then why wouldn't Rome initiate a preemptive strike? Don't tell me they were tired of warring 🤣
So a Roman isn't just necessarily a spoilt boorish brat , of Cambridge or Oxford disposition then ?
what is the name of song you use as intro?
Its 'Bolero' - by Maurice Ravel
Merci
These americans, they read one book of Karl menke and thats it. Try more sources. It will be fantastic, by all means -_-
Elephants eat people back then ? 😕
Think it was the other way around
Phyrus or xenophon would b good
Just letting you know it's pronounced K Keltik not Seltic
Textbooks emphasize the democracy of Republican Rome and tell the story of Imperial fascism.
For me, am not too impressed with the episode of Imperial Rome. Iulius Caesar's utter disregard for Roman Law and such. Maybe it is just me.
I see repeated discrepancies in your narrative and it pushes me to believe that you either didn't prepare well or tendentiously leave historical facts aside. Illyria wasn't today Bosnia or Croatia(Dalmatia) but it had its center in today's Albania. Illyria began from Slovenia to Yannina and Thesaloniki, from Nissus to the Neretva (Narona) river up to the border with its Macedonian cousins. And the saying for the dangerous Adriatic river was not because it was unknown but because the Illyrians were first class sailors and had a military fleet that terrified them. Keep the facts right my man for history, without a proper and correct fact checking, becomes a fairy tale. Keep up the good work, thou correct the inaccuracies. Bye.
who dislikes this?!
Apparently 3 people - it’s a podcast, meant to be listened to and taken in. A lot of people like five minute histories. Not my style ;)
Flash Point History keep it that way!
Phoenicians