Hannibal - Stanford University - [Mp4-Eng] [Nautilus-BT]



Hannibal


Stanford University Courses

Hannibal is a name that evoked fear among the ancient Romans for decades. His courage, cunning and intrepid march across the dangerous Alps in 218 BCE with his army and war elephants make for some of the most exciting passages found in ancient historical texts written by Polybius, Livy, and Appian. And they continue to inspire historians and archaeologists today. The mystery of his exact route is still a topic of debate, one that has consumed Patrick Hunt (Director of Stanford’s Alpine Archaeology Project) for more than a decade. This course examines Hannibal’s childhood and his young soldierly exploits in Spain. Then it follows him over the Pyrenees and into Gaul, the Alps, Italy, and beyond, examining his victories over the Romans, his brilliance as a military strategist, and his legacy after the Punic Wars. Along the way, students will learn about archaeologists’ efforts to retrace Hannibal’s journey through the Alps and the cutting-edge methods that they are using. Hunt has been on foot over every major Alpine pass and has now determined the most probable sites where archaeological evidence can be found to help solve the mystery. Presented by the Stanford Continuing Studies Program.


Customer Reviews

Fascinating and passionate (by Greeneyedlibrarian)
I am not sure why the previous reviewer was critical of this lecture series, all I can say is he gave up too soon. I found the series very informative and I quite enjoyed the eye-witness accounts of those who hiked the different passes. While historical facts may be easily acquired through study, the first hand accounts of this series are unique. I hope to revisit this series several times to completely assimilate all the information offered. Patrick Hunt is passionate about his subject and this passion to learn and share what he has learned is most evident.

Get to the point (by History buff- Chicago)
Nothing can replace being in a lecture in person. Its critically important that the subject matter and lecturer be engaging. Those who would download a university lecture for fun must have a genuine interest in the subject matter. So whenever a poor iTunes u experience occurs it is the fault of the professor.
Full disclosure, I only listened to the first three. And that's my point. When the professor takes so long to get to the point and you're constantly hitting the "back 30 seconds" button, the is ruined. In those 3 lectures I learned the carthaginians sacrificed their first born son. That's it. I didn't even relearn anything I already knew (vie studied ancient roman and Greek history).
I'm sure this guy isn't bad in a live lecture but in podcast form it's horrible. A good contrast is the professor from UC Berkeley who teaches "history 5", history of modern Europe. She's riveting. And unfortunately, I'm beginning to notice a trend amongst the Stanford podcasts, they're not good. Of course don't read into that as Stanford being a poor school, it's just a statement about the podcasts they upload.



These podcasts detail the life of the Carthaginian general Hannibal, often considered one of the greatest commanders of the ancient world. During the Second Punic War against the Roman Republic in the 3rd century BC, Hannibal led his army over the Alps into Italy. He then used superior strategy and tactics to defeat the Roman army at a number of engagements, resulting in the battle of Cannae - a devastating loss for Rome. After this, the Romans adopted many of Hannibal's techniques. At the Battle of Zama, Hannibal was defeated and Carthage lost the war.

The lectures were given by Patrick Hunt as part of the Stanford Continuing Studies Program sometime during 2007. I couldn't find a course website, but there are a few articles relating to the course. There are 8 lectures (strangely numbered 1 through 10), all of which are audio only and nearly two hours long (around 30MB in size). The first podcast is an interesting discussion on Carthaginian culture, in particular whether they really practiced child sacrifice. The second lecture introduces the First Punic War and Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca. The Second Punic War is covered over three lectures (along with an epilogue). The remaining three podcasts are dedicated to Hannibal's crossing of the Alps.

It seems Patrick Hunt organises regular expeditions to cross the Alps, trying to find archeological proof of where Hannibal crossed. Great attention is paid to how closely various mountain passes fit the ancient descriptions. Dr Hunt personally favours the Col de Clapier. If this historical event is of interest, then you will be well served. There is not one, not two, but three different first-person accounts of modern crossings of the Alps in attempts to follow Hannibal's footsteps: Hunt's; Ed Boenig, a student of Dr Hunt's; and John Hoyte's, who crossed the Col de Clapier in 1959 with an elephant (called Jumbo).

Apart from close concentration on a narrow historical time period, the series has many intriguing digressions. For instance, there is occasional mention of the meaning of Hannibal's name, "grace of Ba'al". Ba'al was the main Carthaginian deity, who supposedly lived on a mountain. Thus Dr Hunt suggests Hannibal would have had no fear of mountains. A bit of a stretch, but still interesting. If you have a particular interest in finding out about Hannibal's crossing of the Alps, then this is the podcast for you. However, there is still much to learn even if that is not your focus (and the second two alpine lectures can be safely skipped). On the downside, the first lecture (on the origins of Carthage) seems to be missing. Also, there is no sign of the lecture slides. Being able to see the maps and slides would have been particularly useful during discussions of which Alpine pass most closely matched ancient descriptions. Nevertheless, don't be put off by the long podcast length, this series is well worth a listen.


Episode list

1-2. Background to Hannibal/Carthage: Hannibal's Youth
3. Hamilcar Barca and The First Punic War
4. Hannibal on the March: From Spain to the Rhone Crossing
5-6. Hannibal in the Alps: The Potential Passes
7. John Hoyte's Cambridge British Alpine Elephant Expedition in 1958-59
8. Hannibal in Italy: Battles of Trebbia, Trasimene and Cannae
9. The Hannibal Expedition 2006, Clapier or Traversette?
10. Hannibal at the Battle of Zama and Beyond, His Legacy	


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