Carthage: Rome's Greatest Enemy and Hannibal's Revenge — Fexingo History cover art

Carthage: Rome's Greatest Enemy and Hannibal's Revenge — Fexingo History

Carthage: Rome's Greatest Enemy and Hannibal's Revenge — Fexingo History

By: Fexingo
Listen for free

Carthage, the glittering Phoenician republic that dominated the western Mediterranean for centuries, met its end in a series of epic clashes with Rome. From the mercenary wars to the sacred band of Carthage, Lucas and Luna explore every facet of this lost civilization. They trace the rise of the Barcid dynasty, the devastating First Punic War that cost Carthage Sicily and Sardinia, and the brutal mercenary revolt that nearly destroyed the city from within. The heart of the narrative is Hannibal Barca—his audacious crossing of the Alps with war elephants, his crushing victories at Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, and his ultimate failure to break Rome's will. The show delves into Carthaginian religion, featuring the controversial practice of child sacrifice to Baal Hammon and Tanit, and the political machinations of the suffetes and the Tribunal of 104. It covers the final act: the Third Punic War, Cato the Elder's relentless call for destruction, and Scipio Aemilianus's siege that ended with Carthage razed and its fields sown with salt. The show also examines the legacy—how Carthage's maritime empire influenced later powers, and the enduring debate over whether Hannibal could have won. This is a story of revenge, strategy, and a civilization erased but never forgotten. An epic tragedy that still echoes in modern military tactics and imperial ambition. #Carthage #HannibalBarca #PunicWars #PhoenicianEmpire #AncientNorthAfrica #BarcidDynasty #Cannae #WarElephants #BaalHammon #ThirdPunicWar #ScipioAemilianus #CatoTheElder #MercenaryWar #BattleOfZama #FexingoHistory #AncientHistory #RiseAndFall #WorldHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo© 2026 Fexingo. All rights reserved. Hourly Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Carthage's Great Harbor: The Cothon That Ruled the Sea

    Carthage's Great Harbor: The Cothon That Ruled the Sea
    Jun 23 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the marvel of Carthage's Cothon—the artificial harbor complex that made the city the undisputed queen of the western Mediterranean. They dive into the design of the twin harbors (the rectangular merchant harbor and the circular military Cothon with its island ship sheds), the role of the harbor in supporting Carthage's vast trade network and navy, and how it was destroyed by Scipio Aemilianus in 146 BCE. Drawing on archaeological evidence from the Byrsa hill excavations and ancient descriptions by Appian and Polybius, they discuss the sheer scale of the Cothon's ship sheds—capable of holding over 200 warships—and the logistical genius behind its construction. The conversation also touches on the harbor's connection to Carthage's founding myth, its role in the Punic Wars, and the haunting legacy of its ruins, visible today in modern Tunis. Perfect for history lovers who want a detailed look at one of antiquity's greatest engineering feats. #Cothon #Carthage #PunicWars #Hannibal #AncientHarbor #NavalEngineering #ScipioAemilianus #Byrsa #Appian #Polybius #Phoenicians #Mediterranean #ShipSheds #AncientHistory #NorthAfrica #Carthaginian #ThirdPunicWar #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    Show More Show Less
    5 mins
  • Carthage's Hanno the Great and the Oligarchs Who Ruled

    Carthage's Hanno the Great and the Oligarchs Who Ruled
    Jun 22 2026
    Episode 113 of Carthage: Rome's Greatest Enemy and Hannibal's Revenge turns inward to examine Carthage's own political elite—the oligarchic families who controlled the city's destiny long before and after the Barcids. Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy figure of Hanno the Great, the leader of the peace faction who opposed Hamilcar and Hannibal, nearly betraying the war effort. They dissect the Council of Elders, the Hundred and Four judges, and the suffetes—the executive magistrates who governed Carthage. The episode also delves into the commercial empire of the Magonids, the internal coups, and the factional strife that crippled Carthage from within, including the infamous story of Hanno's alleged plot to seize power. Drawing on Polybius, Livy, and Justin, this is the story of the men in the shadows who shaped Carthage's rise and fall—and the political culture that made Hannibal both possible and doomed. #Carthage #HannoTheGreat #PunicPolitics #CarthaginianOligarchy #CouncilOfElders #HundredAndFour #Suffetes #Magonids #Barcids #Polybius #Livy #Justin #SecondPunicWar #AncientHistory #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica #Phoenician Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
  • Carthage's Hannibal in Exile: The Last Years of Rome's Greatest Enemy

    Carthage's Hannibal in Exile: The Last Years of Rome's Greatest Enemy
    Jun 22 2026
    After Zama, Hannibal Barca didn't fade into obscurity. He became a politician in Carthage, then a mercenary commander for Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire, and finally a fugitive in Armenia and Bithynia. This episode traces Hannibal's final decades: his reforms as suffete, the Carthaginian debt crisis, his escape to Tyre, his role in the Battle of the Eurymedon, and his final act of defiance in Libyssa. We explore the accounts of Polybius, Livy, and Cornelius Nepos, and ask whether Hannibal's exile was a tragedy or a strategic endgame. From the courts of the Seleucids to the rocky coast of Bithynia, this is the untold story of Hannibal after Rome. #HannibalBarca #Carthage #Exile #SeleucidEmpire #AntiochusIII #BattleOfEurymedon #Bithynia #Libyssa #Suffete #Polybius #Livy #CorneliusNepos #Tyre #PrusiasI #Flamininus #PunicWars #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet