009– Secret Histories

<figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > Listen: 009 – Secret Histories - Full episode &nbsp; !Chilli warning!&nbsp; We raise a glass to some of the greatest figures of the ancient world... and in praise of father-in-laws.&nbsp; &nbsp;Roman history is rich, fascinating, and occasionally x-rated.&nbsp; And few periods are more incredible than the stories of the great wars between Rome and Carthage, the peak of the Roman Empire in all its fierce glory, and then its final, doomed, heroic fightback.&nbsp; Caution: those Romans could be seriously decadent.Battle of the Books - Round 9Livy – History of Rome (the section on the Second Punic War is published by Penguin Classics as ‘The War With Hannibal’)Tacitus – The Agricola, often packaged with his equally short Germania; though don’t be put off reading his Histories, or his Annals (not Anals!)Wildcard:&nbsp; Procopius – The Secret HistoryShortcutsIncredibly, no decent film versions of the incredible story of Hannibal crossing the Alps, with elephants, to launch a decades-long war to the death against Rome.&nbsp; A decent painting by Turner, though: Joseph Mallord William Turner 081 - Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps - Wikipedia The Eagle of the 9th is set in the Roman incursions into ScotlandRobert Graves’s historical novel Count Belisarius covers the period of the Secret History, and is great, but much longer than the Procopius, and again – incredibly – there is no film shortcut.Battle of the BoozeRed Cincinnatus from Lazio... and – tragically – an elderflower pressé, as no wolf milk was available.Poll of ChampionsWe want your votes!&nbsp; Which book would you save?&nbsp; Vote here!FeedbackWe’d love to hear from you with thoughts, comments, questions and suggestions – click here!Poll: who was the greatest general of all time? &nbsp;