HANNIBAL AND ROME. THE HOUR OF DESTINY

More than two thousand years ago, Hannibal crossed the Alps with his army and elephants, bringing Rome to the brink of collapse. After the devastating Roman defeat at Cannae, the fate of the Mediterranean world seemed uncertain. But while Hannibal was fighting in Italy, his brother Hasdrubal marched from Spain with a second Carthaginian army, hoping to join forces with him and deliver the final blow to Rome.The Battle of the Metaurus, fought in 207 BC, stopped that reunion and changed the course of history. Yet the exact location of this decisive clash has remained a mystery for centuries. Today, Italian and Spanish archaeologists are searching the landscapes of central Italy for traces of the lost battlefield, combining ancient sources, battlefield archaeology and modern technology in an attempt to rediscover the place where Rome was saved.