Episodes

  • Carthage Before the Wars: Empire of the Western Mediterranean — Fexingo History

    Carthage Before the Wars: Empire of the Western Mediterranean — Fexingo History
    Apr 26 2026
    Before Hannibal crossed the Alps, before the Punic Wars even began, Carthage was already a formidable empire spanning North Africa, Iberia, Sardinia, and Sicily. This episode explores the early history of Carthage: its founding as a Phoenician colony around 814 BCE, its rise as a thalassocracy, and the sophisticated political and commercial systems that made it Rome's equal. We delve into the role of the Sufetes, the Council of Elders, and the Assembly of the People, and how Carthage's oligarchic republic differed from Rome. We also examine the city's reliance on mercenary armies, the cult of Baal Hammon and Tanit, and the controversial practice of child sacrifice known as molk. Finally, we look at the early treaties with Rome, including the first treaty of 509 BCE, and the Battle of Alalia against the Greeks, setting the stage for the inevitable conflict. This episode fills in the crucial background that explains why Carthage was such a formidable adversary.

    #Carthage #Phoenicians #PunicWars #NorthAfrica #AncientHistory #Mediterranean #BaalHammon #Tanit #Molk #Sufetes #Thalassocracy #Sicily #Sardinia #Iberia #TreatyOf509 #BattleOfAlalia #FexingoHistory #History #HannibalBarca #PhoenicianEmpire

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Carthage's Mercenary War: The Bloody Revolt That Nearly Destroyed Carthage — Fexingo History

    Carthage's Mercenary War: The Bloody Revolt That Nearly Destroyed Carthage — Fexingo History
    Apr 26 2026
    In 241 BCE, Carthage was reeling after its defeat in the First Punic War. Desperate to pay Rome war reparations, Carthage could not afford to compensate its foreign mercenaries who had fought for decades. The result was the Mercenary War — a brutal, three-year conflict that brought Carthage to the brink of extinction. This episode follows the revolt from its spark in the city of Sicca Veneria to the horrific sieges of Utica and the final decisive battle at the Saw. We explore the leadership of the Libyan rebel Mathos and the defected Roman soldier Spendius, who used brutal tactics and psychological warfare against Carthaginian generals Hanno the Great and Hamilcar Barca. The war saw atrocities on both sides: crucifixions, mass defections, and the legendary cruelty of Hamilcar, who fed rebels to wild animals. We examine the controversy over Hamilcar's methods — was he a military genius or a war criminal? The Mercenary War reshaped Carthaginian politics, gave Hamilcar the power that would launch his family's war against Rome, and revealed the fragility of an empire built on mercenary might.

    #MercenaryWar #Carthage #HamilcarBarca #Mathos #Spendius #SiccaVeneria #Utica #TheSaw #HannoTheGreat #FirstPunicWar #AncientHistory #NorthAfrica #LibyanRevolt #WarCrimes #SiegeWarfare #PunicHistory #FexingoHistory #History #HannibalBarca #PunicWars

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    5 mins
  • Hannibal's Reforms: The Real Reason Rome Couldn't Rest — Fexingo History

    Hannibal's Reforms: The Real Reason Rome Couldn't Rest — Fexingo History
    Apr 25 2026
    After Hannibal Barca's defeat at Zama in 202 BCE, most Romans assumed Carthage was finished as a threat. But the general who had terrorized Italy for fifteen years was not done. Exiled from his homeland, Hannibal found refuge at the courts of Hellenistic kings—first Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire, then Prusias I of Bithynia. This episode follows Hannibal's post-war career as a military advisor, naval commander, and living symbol of resistance against Rome. We explore his role in the Battle of the Eurymedon River (190 BCE), his stunning naval victory over the Rhodians at Side, and the political intrigues that finally drove Prusias to betray his guest. Drawing on Polybius, Livy, and Cornelius Nepos, we peel back the layers of Hannibal's final years, including his escape attempts and his death by poison in Libyssa around 183 BCE. We also consider what might have been: could Hannibal's military genius have shifted the balance of power in the Hellenistic world if Rome had not been so relentless? Join us for a deep dive into the exile who never surrendered, and whose story reveals as much about Roman fear as Carthaginian resistance.

    #HannibalBarca #SeleucidEmpire #AntiochusIII #BattleOfSide #EurymedonRiver #PrusiasIBithynia #Libyssa #Polybius #Livy #CorneliusNepos #HellenisticWorld #Exile #RomanHistory #CarthaginianHistory #NavalWarfare #AncientWarfare #History #FexingoHistory #Carthage #PunicWars

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Hannibal's Post-War Exile: The General Who Never Surrendered — Fexingo History

    Hannibal's Post-War Exile: The General Who Never Surrendered — Fexingo History
    Apr 25 2026
    After the Second Punic War ended in 201 BCE, Hannibal Barca didn't fade into obscurity—he became a political reformer in Carthage, then fled into a decades-long exile across the Hellenistic world. This episode follows Hannibal's journey from suffete of Carthage to advisor to the Seleucid king Antiochus III, to his final years in the court of Prusias I of Bithynia. We explore his financial reforms, his battles against Rome in the East, and the constant threat of Roman assassination. Drawing on Polybius, Livy, and Cornelius Nepos, we ask: was Hannibal always planning a new war, or was he merely surviving? Along the way, we meet figures like the orator Cato, the Roman general Scipio Africanus, and the treacherous King Prusias. This is the untold story of Carthage's greatest general after the flames of Zama.

    #HannibalBarca #SecondPunicWar #Carthage #SeleucidEmpire #AntiochusIII #BattleOfMagnesia #PrusiasOfBithynia #ScipioAfricanus #CatoTheElder #Polybius #Livy #CorneliusNepos #HellenisticWorld #Exile #Bithynia #History #FexingoHistory #AncientHistory #PunicWars #PhoenicianEmpire

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
  • Carthage’s Last Stand: The Third Punic War and a City Erased — Fexingo History

    Carthage’s Last Stand: The Third Punic War and a City Erased — Fexingo History
    Apr 24 2026
    In 149 BCE, Rome finally got its revenge. Fifty years after Hannibal’s defeat at Zama, the Roman Republic demanded Carthage surrender its fleet, disarm, and relocate its entire population inland — or face annihilation. When Carthage refused, a third war began. This episode of Carthage: Rome's Greatest Enemy follows the siege of Carthage through the eyes of Scipio Aemilianus, the Roman commander who wept over the burning city. We explore the political machinations of Cato the Elder, whose relentless cry of 'Carthago delenda est' — 'Carthage must be destroyed' — drove Rome to war. We detail the brutal three-year siege, the ingenious Carthaginian defenses and countermoves under Hasdrubal the Boeotarch, and the final assault that ended with the city razed and its soil sown with salt. But we also ask: was the destruction total? New archaeological evidence suggests Carthage survived as a Punic-speaking community for centuries under Roman rule. Join Lucas and Luna as they untangle myth from history and examine the legacy of a civilization Rome tried to erase.

    #ThirdPunicWar #ScipioAemilianus #CatoTheElder #CarthagoDelendaEst #HasdrubalBoeotarch #SiegeOfCarthage #146BCE #RomanRepublic #PunicWars #Phoenician #NorthAfrica #Archaeology #DelendaEst #RomeVsCarthage #AncientHistory #Carthage #FexingoHistory #History #HannibalBarca #PhoenicianEmpire

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Hannibal's Alpine Crossing: The March That Shook Rome — Fexingo History

    Hannibal's Alpine Crossing: The March That Shook Rome — Fexingo History
    Apr 24 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into one of history's most audacious military maneuvers: Hannibal Barca's crossing of the Alps in 218 BCE. They explore the logistical nightmare of moving tens of thousands of troops, cavalry, and war elephants through treacherous mountain passes, the resistance from Gallic tribes, and the devastating losses Hannibal endured. The conversation examines the competing theories about which pass he used—the Col de la Traversette or the Mont Cenis—and the archaeological evidence that may settle the debate. They also discuss Hannibal's clever use of local guides, his psychological warfare against Rome, and how the crossing set the stage for the crushing Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. Along the way, Lucas shares vivid details about the elephants, the soldiers' morale, and the political stakes for Carthage. This episode sheds light on the daring and desperation that defined Hannibal's campaign, offering a fresh perspective on a turning point in ancient history.

    #Hannibal #Alps #Carthage #Rome #SecondPunicWar #WarElephants #ColDeLaTraversette #MontCenis #GallicTribes #Polybius #Livy #AncientWarfare #Logistics #BattleOfLakeTrasimene #MilitaryHistory #AncientHistory #History #FexingoHistory #HannibalBarca #PunicWars

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Carthage: The City That Dared to Challenge Rome — Fexingo History

    Carthage: The City That Dared to Challenge Rome — Fexingo History
    Apr 23 2026
    In this pilot episode, Lucas and Luna travel back to 264 BCE, standing on the quays of Carthage's circular military harbor — the Cothon. They explore the origins of this Phoenician colony in modern Tunisia, its rise as a mercantile and naval powerhouse, and its unique political system that blended oligarchy and democracy. The story zooms in on the First Punic War, where Rome, a land power, dared to build a fleet and beat Carthage at sea. We meet Hamilcar Barca, the general who instilled a burning hatred of Rome in his son Hannibal. The episode ends with a cliffhanger: Hannibal's childhood oath and the question of whether Carthage can ever be satisfied with surrender. This sets the stage for future episodes on the Alps crossing and the Second Punic War. No clickbait, just history told with warmth and depth.

    #Carthage #Phoenicians #PunicWars #HannibalBarca #HamilcarBarca #AncientRome #Cothon #FirstPunicWar #MercenaryWar #Sicily #Tunisia #NavalWarfare #WarElephants #AncientHistory #MediterraneanHistory #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #NorthAfrica #PhoenicianEmpire #AncientNorthAfrica

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/carthage-rome-s-greatest-enemy-and-hannibal-s-revenge-fexingo-history--6985335/support.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins