Which Alpine pass did Hannibal use?
The most obvious route for Hannibal to have taken through the Alps is called the Col du Clapier, known in antiquity as the Way of Hercules, historian and archaeologist Eve MacDonald, a lecturer in ancient history at Cardiff University in the U.K., told Live Science.
What mountains did Hannibal cross?
Their commander Hannibal marched his troops, including cavalry and African war elephants, across a high pass in the Alps to strike at Rome itself from the north of the Italian peninsula. It was one of the greatest military feats in history.
What two mountain ranges did Hannibal's army cross?
through which mountain ranges did hannibal's army have to travel with elephants? pyrenees and alps.
Did Hannibal actually cross the Alps?
In 218 BC, 28-year old Hannibal, his soldiers, and his 37 African battle elephants marched from southern Spain to the plains of northern Italy – but took an unexpected route. Instead of following the coastline or going by sea, he crossed the Alps, to the surprise of the Roman Empire army.
What nationality was Hannibal?
TunisianHannibal / NationalityHannibal was born in 247 B.C. in North Africa. Polybius and Livy, whose histories of Rome are the main Latin sources regarding his life, claimed that Hannibal's father, the great Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, brought his son to Spain (a region he had begun to conquer around 237 B.C.) at a young age.
Did Hannibal cross the Alps with vinegar?
According to legend related by the Roman historian Livy, while in the Alps, his soldiers encountered a rock formation that prevented their passage. Hannibal's solution was to light fires to heat up the rocks and pour vinegar into cracks of the hot rocks.
How close did Hannibal get to Rome?
After a day of slaughter, a Carthaginian, Maharbal, is said to have urged Hannibal to hurry straight to Rome, 250 miles away, where he could be “dining on the Capitol after four days”.
How many elephants died crossing the Alps?
Unfortunately, all but one of Hannibal's elephants died while crossing the mountains in 218 BC. Although 36 of the 37 elephants Hannibal brought on the journey were African elephants, most likely from Morocco and Algeria, it was the sole Asian elephant that survived.
Who defeated Hannibal?
Scipio Africanus the ElderBattle of Zama, (202 bce), victory of the Romans led by Scipio Africanus the Elder over the Carthaginians commanded by Hannibal.
How many elephants did Hannibal have after crossing the Alps?
'' By most accounts Hannibal's invasion force in 218 B.C., assembled in Spain, included 100,000 men and 37 or 38 elephants.
How long did Hannibal stay in Italy?
15 yearsHannibal occupied most of southern Italy for 15 years. The Romans, led by Fabius Maximus, avoided heavy confrontation with him, instead waging a war of attrition.
What route does Hannibal block?
The Carthaginian general Hannibal led his troops over the Alps to attack the Roman Republic from the north.
Where did Hannibal cross Rhone?
The Battle of the Rhône Crossing was a battle during the Second Punic War in September of 218 BC. Hannibal marched on the Italian Alps, and an army of Gallic Volcae attacked the Carthaginian army on the east bank of the Rhône. The Roman army camped near Massalia.
Why did Hannibal cross the Alps with elephants?
Hannibal needed to reach the Alps quickly in order to beat the onset of winter. He knew that if he waited until springtime on the far side of the mountains, the Romans would have time to raise another army.
What was Hannibal's route?
Much ink has been spilled in pinpointing the route of Hannibal's improbable five-month, thousand-mile trek from Catalonia across the Pyrenees, through the Languedoc to the banks of the Rhone, and then over the Alps to the plains of Italy.
How did Hannibal cross the Strait of Gibraltar?
Carthage at the time was in such a poor state that it lacked a navy able to transport his army; instead, Hamilcar had to march his forces across Numidia towards the Pillars of Hercules and then cross the Strait of Gibraltar.
How long did it take Hannibal to cross the Pyrenees?
Much ink has been spilled in pinpointing the route of Hannibal’s improbable five-month, thousand-mile trek from Catalonia across the Pyrenees, through the Languedoc to the banks of the Rhone, and then over the Alps to the plains of Italy.
What did Hannibal say to his troops?
Now new scientific evidence points to Hannibal’s legendary route to Rome. As he led his troops into the mountains, Hannibal vo wed: “You will have the capital of Italy, the citadel of Rome, in the hollow of your hands.” (Tomas van Houtryve)
What is the name of the mountain that Allen climbed?
On Allen’s left, a cutting wind scythes across a row of rock needles and down to the valley on the Italian side, nearly 10,000 feet below. To his right, Mount Viso —the twin-peaked colossus—looms against a bowl-blue sky.
Who refuted de Beer's conclusions on Hannibal's Pass?
F.W. Walbank certainly thought so. The eminent Polybian scholar refuted de Beer’s conclusions on linguistic and timeline grounds in “Some Reflections on Hannibal’s Pass,” published in Volume 46 of The Journal of Roman Studies. His 1956 essay began with the all-time Carthaginian money quote: “Few historical problems have produced more unprofitable discussion than that of Hannibal’s pass over the Alps.” Walbank, who seemed inclined toward either Col du Clapier or Mont Cenis, was later dressed down by Geoffroy de Galbert, author of Hannibal and Caesar in the Alps, for allegedly misreading Polybius’ Greek. (If you’re keeping score, de Galbert is a Col du Clapier man.)
When was the two tiered rockfall discovered?
In 2004 Mahaney discovered a two-tiered rockfall—caused by two separate accumulations of rubble—on the Traversette’s Italian frontier. The fallen mass, he says, jibes with Polybius’ description of the rock debris that impeded the elephant brigade’s path to the valley. “None of the other passes have a deposit on the lee side,” he insists.
Where were the art stolen during the Nazi occupation?
During the Nazi occupation of France, many valuable works of art were stolen from the Jeu de Paume museum and relocated to Germany. One brave French woman kept detailed notes of the thefts
Who was the student who took the elephants on the trunk road?
In 1959, Cambridge engineering student John Hoyte borrowed an elephant named Jumbo from the Turin zoo and set out to prove the Col du Clapier (sometimes called the Col du Clapier-Savine Coche) was the real trunk road—but ultimately took the Mont Cenis route into Italy.
What was the name of the route Hannibal took through the Alps?
Finding the path. The most obvious route for Hannibal to have taken through the Alps is called the Col du Clapier , known in antiquity as the Way of Hercules, historian and archaeologist Eve MacDonald, a lecturer in ancient history at Cardiff University in the U.K., told Live Science.
What is the new Hannibal in the Alps documentary?
However, in "Secrets of the Dead: Hannibal in the Alps," a new documentary airing on PBS tonight (April 10), a team of experts takes a fresh look at Hannibal’s incredible trip across treacherous mountain terrain. Together, they re-create his long-lost route and reveal the latest discoveries about his historic accomplishment — and depict the famous elephants that played a critical part in his victory against the Romans. [ Beasts in Battle: 15 Amazing Animal Recruits in War]
What is the difference between Hannibal's elephants and modern Asian elephants?
If that were true, Hannibal's elephants may have represented a smaller, now-extinct subspecies of African elephant; historical accounts described northern African war elephants as fearful of the bigger Indian war elephants, while modern Asian elephants are generally smaller than their African cousins, Herridge explained.
How many horses did Hannibal have?
For over 2,000 years, historians have argued over the route used by the Carthaginian general Hannibal to guide his army — 30,000 soldiers, 37 elephants and 15,000 horses — over the Alps and into Italy in just 16 days, conducting a military ambush against the Romans that was unprecedented in the history of warfare.
What were Hannibal's elephants?
Speculation also lingers about Hannibal's war elephants and where they came from. Hannibal's beasts were long thought to be Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ), due to prevailing myths that those elephants are more trainable than African elephants ( Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis ), Victoria Herridge, an elephant expert for the documentary and a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum, London, told Live Science. [ What's the Difference Between Asian and African Elephants?]
How many square miles did Hannibal cover?
To defeat the Romans, Hannibal did the unthinkable — he led an army through a mountain region spanning about 80,000 square miles (over 207,000 square kilometers) — and descended on Rome from the north, where the nation least expected an attack.
Where was Hannibal's path preserved?
The clues that pointed to Hannibal's path were preserved not in recovered records or military artifacts, but in soil deposits along the Col de la Traversette, in miry areas that may have been used long ago by the army's many animals as watering holes — and as a toilet.
What did Hannibal do to Rome?
Their commander Hannibal marched his troops, including cavalry and African war elephants, across a high pass in the Alps to strike at Rome itself from the north of the Italian peninsula. It was one of the greatest military feats in history.
What was the impasse faced by Hannibal?
He went looking for clues in the landscapes. Both Polybius and Livy mention that the impasse faced by Hannibal was created by fallen rocks. Polybius, who got his information firsthand by interviewing some of the survivors from Hannibal’s army, describes the rockfall in detail, saying that it consisted of two landslides: a recent one on top of older debris. In 2004 Mahaney found from field trips and aerial and satellite photography that, of the various passes along the proposed routes, only the Col de Traversette had enough large rockfalls above the snowline to account for such an obstruction.
Why did Hannibal avoid the lower cols?
He suspects Hannibal did not intend to come this way, but was forced to avoid the lower cols to the north because of the hordes of Gauls massing there. “They were every bit Hannibal’s equal, and no doubt hungry to loot his baggage train,” Mahaney says. The rockfall evidence was pretty suggestive.
How long did it take Hannibal to build a road?
The elephants were another matter – it took three days to make a road wide enough. Finally, says Polybius, Hannibal “succeeded in getting his elephants across, but the animals were in a miserable condition from hunger”.
What were the three Punic Wars?
The three Punic wars were a struggle for dominance of the Mediterranean region by the two great trading and military powers of the third and second centuries BC: Carthage and Rome.
What was the only place in the vicinity where Hannibal's army could have rested after crossing the col?
It’s one of the few places where Hannibal’s army could have rested after crossing the col, being the only place in the vicinity with rich soil to support the vegetation needed for grazing horses and mules. The researchers rolled up their sleeves and dug into the mire. What they found was mud.
What did the Romans presume that the Alps created?
The Romans had presumed that the Alps created a secure natural barrier against invasion of their homeland. They hadn’t reckoned with Hannibal’s boldness. In December he smashed apart the Roman forces in the north, assisted by his awesome elephants, the tanks of classical warfare.
How long did it take Hannibal to descend into Italy?
Along the end stages of the route, snow was falling on the pass, making the descent even more treacherous. Rockslides made travel on the narrow track hazardous, and the army was held up for most of a day while it was made passable for the pack animals and elephants. Finally, on the 15th day, after a journey of five months from Cartagena, with 25,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and most of his original 37 elephants, Hannibal descended into Italy. He had surmounted the difficulties of climate and terrain, the guerrilla tactics of inaccessible tribes, and the major difficulty of commanding a body of men diverse in race and language under conditions to which they were ill-fitted.
Where did the group attack Hannibal's column?
This group attacked the rear of Hannibal’s column in an ambush, possibly along the Isère at the “gateway to the Alps” (near modern Grenoble) and possibly where the river is at its narrowest, surrounded by high ridges of the Chartreuse and Belledonne massifs. Hannibal took countermeasures, but those involved him in heavy losses in men.
What was the first battle between Hannibal and the Romans?
Hannibal’s forces were now inadequate to match the army of Scipio, who had rushed to the Po River to protect the recently founded Roman colonies of Placentia (modern Piacenza) and Cremona. The first significant action between the two armies took place on the Po plains, west of the Ticino River, and Hannibal’s Numidian cavalry prevailed. Scipio was severely wounded, and the Romans withdrew to Placentia. After maneuvers failed to lead to a second engagement, Hannibal successfully goaded the army of Sempronius Longus into battle on the left bank of the Trebbia River south of Placentia (December 218). The Roman force was soundly defeated, although it is likely that the wounded Claudius Scipio did not take part in the battle, and it is uncertain if any of his legions were part of the action. That victory brought both Gauls and Ligurians to Hannibal’s side, and his army was considerably augmented by Celtic recruits. After a severe winter Hannibal was able to advance in the spring of 217 as far as the Arno River marshes, where he lost an eye to infection. Although two Roman armies were now in the field against him, he was able to outmaneuver that of Gaius Flaminius at Arretium (modern Arezzo) and reached Curtun (modern Cortona ). By design, that move forced Flaminius’s army into open combat, and in the ensuing Battle of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal’s troops all but annihilated the Roman army, killing at least 15,000 soldiers, many of whom were driven into the lake to drown. An additional 15,000 Romans and allied troops were captured. Reinforcements of about 4,000 cavalry under Gaius Centenius were intercepted before they arrived and were also destroyed. The Carthaginian troops were either too worn to clinch their victories and march on Rome, or Hannibal considered the city to be too well fortified. Hannibal, furthermore, nurtured the vain hope that the Italian allies of Rome would defect and cause civil war.
What happened to Hannibal in the gorge?
Harassed by such daytime assaults and mistrusting the loyalty of his Gallic guides, Hannibal bivouacked on a large bare rock to cover the passage by night of his horses and pack animals in the gorge below . Then, before dawn, he led the remainder of his force through the narrow gorge entrance, killing the few Gauls who had guarded it and believed Hannibal to be trapped.
How many elephants did Hannibal have?
Finally, on the 15th day, after a journey of five months from Cartagena, with 25,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and most of his original 37 elephants, Hannibal descended into Italy.
What city did Hannibal march to?
Hannibal marched to within 3 miles (5 km) of the strongly fortified walls of Rome in an attempt to draw away the Roman armies, but the move was unsuccessful and Capua fell. In the same year, in Sicily, Syracuse fell, and by 209 Tarentum, in south Italy, had also been recaptured by the Romans.
Why did Hannibal bivouack on a large bare rock?
Harassed by such daytime assaults and mistrusting the loyalty of his Gallic guides, Hannibal bivouacked on a large bare rock to cover the passage by night of his horses and pack animals in the gorge below.
What did Hannibal do during the Punic Wars?
Hannibal pulled off one of the greatest military feats ever during the Punic Wars when he crossed the Alps with elephants. Now new scientific evidence points to Hannibal’s legendary route to Rome
What is Hannibal's mire?
Hannibal’s Mire lies in a soft, enclosing gorge about the size of a soccer pitch. The sides of the surrounding hills splinter into a small stream that purls through moss and ferns and peat hags. For all the stark drama—shadows scudding across cliffs, sudden shafts of sharpening air, clouds draping heavily over peaks—the bog creates a sense of serenity. Absorbed in a fragile trance, Allen studies a knot of tadpoles wiggling in a marshy puddle. A faint scent of mint fills the air. At last Allen says, “Our purpose here is to try to strengthen the pool of scientific data. That’s really all we can do. It’s up to the modern historians to back it up."
What did Hunt think of the Traversette?
And while Hunt thinks the Traversette would have been too high and the terrain too treacherous for humans, Mahaney thinks the Col du Clapier would have been too low and the terrain not treacherous enough: “An army of nuns could walk straight down off the Clapier into Italy," he says, snickering like a schoolboy who’s just discovered there’s a city in France named Brest. “Hunt implies that the Traversette may not have been passable in Hannibal’s time, but I don’t think he has a grasp of what Hannibal’s warriors actually looked like. You wouldn’t want to meet them on a dark night, anywhere. They were crack troops who could cover 20 miles a day while lugging food and weapons."
What was the first Punic war?
The First Punic War (264-241 B.C.) was fought over control of the strategic islands of Sicily and Corsica. The Sicilians embroiled the rising republic of Rome in their squabbles with Carthage and transformed a minor dispute into an armed conflict fought largely at sea. “When the Carthaginians had to fight, they hired mercenaries, though they had their own elite commanders," Mahaney says. During the final years of the conflict, their leader in Sicily was Hamilcar Barca, from a prominent family of Carthaginian aristocrats. Alas, the Romans pulled an upset victory and eventually Carthage not only lost its claims to Corsica and Sardinia, but was left saddled with a debt, which the Barcas helped to pay off by establishing a Carthaginian empire in silver-rich Spain. Determined to see Carthage restored to its former glory, Hamilcar made his eldest son, Hannibal, swear lifelong enmity to the republic.
Who refuted de Beer's conclusions on Hannibal's Pass?
F.W. Walbank certainly thought so. The eminent Polybian scholar refuted de Beer’s conclusions on linguistic and timeline grounds in “Some Reflections on Hannibal’s Pass," published in Volume 46 of The Journal of Roman Studies. His 1956 essay began with the all-time Carthaginian money quote: “Few historical problems have produced more unprofitable discussion than that of Hannibal’s pass over the Alps." Walbank, who seemed inclined toward either Col du Clapier or Mont Cenis, was later dressed down by Geoffroy de Galbert, author of Hannibal and Caesar in the Alps, for allegedly misreading Polybius’ Greek. (If you’re keeping score, de Galbert is a Col du Clapier man.)
When was the two tiered rockfall discovered?
In 2004 Mahaney discovered a two-tiered rockfall—caused by two separate accumulations of rubble—on the Traversette’s Italian frontier. The fallen mass, he says, jibes with Polybius’ description of the rock debris that impeded the elephant brigade’s path to the valley. “None of the other passes have a deposit on the lee side," he insists.
Who won the devotion of his troops?
Hannibal won his troops’ devotion. “Often he was seen lying in his cloak on the bare ground amongst common soldiers," >the historian Livy wrote. (VCG Wilson / Corbis via Getty Images)
Where did Hannibal cross the Alps?
This question has troubled historians almost from the beginning of its telling. The little that we do know comes from Greek historian Polybius and Roman historian Livy, both writing long after the events themselves. They remain almost consciously vague, showing little interest in anything but the broad details. This isn’t helped by the fact that both sources, especially Livy, feature a heavy bias against Hannibal, further compounding the issue.
Where did Hannibal set off from?
The Romans dominated the waves, so simply sailing to Italy wasn’t an option, it would have to be the Alps. He set off from Cartagena, a city in southern Spain, and it’s been estimated that the journey from there and through the Alps into the Italian heartlands, took five months, over a distance of 1000 miles (~1600km). By the time Hannibal arrived at the Alps, however, 750 miles (~1200km) of that journey were behind him and judging by what happened next, provisions were in short supply.
How many horses did Hannibal have?
Estimates for the number of men Hannibal took into the Alps vary wildly and his army was a diverse mix of African, Gallic, and Celtiberian troops. Estimations range from 20,000 and 100,000, with between 15,000–20,000 horses and pack animals, as well as the famous 37 elephants. We cannot be certain of the numbers, but 30,000 is generally agreed upon as accurate.
Why did the Allobroge attack Hannibal?
It has been stated by Livy that these tribesmen were the Allobroge, one of many groups in the region, and that they were attacking Hannibal because he intervened in their tribal politics. A dispute between brothers had broken out and Hannibal’s arrival had seen him act as arbiter between the two factions. Hannibal would come down on the side of Brancus, the elder brother, and it has been suggested that this was in part because Brancus offered him food and provisions. After the attack by the tribesman, Hannibal would raid a Gaelic village in retaliation, capturing cattle and two or three days’ worth of provisions. From there they would proceed onward into the mountains.
How many Romans died in the Battle of Cannae?
For fifteen long years, he ravaged the Italian Peninsula, inflicting stunning victories on Rome, most notably at the Battle of Cannae, where somewhere between 55,000 and 70,000 Romans were killed, compared to just 6000 Carthaginians. Some estimates say that about one in five Roman men of military age died in this one battle alone.
Who defeated Hannibal in the Battle of Zama?
For fifteen long years Hannibal would ravage the Italian peninsula, but thanks in part to the losses he suffered in the Alps and his almost continual lack of supplies, he was never able to deal the killing blow to Rome itself and would ultimately be defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama in 202BC.
Who is H#N#annibal Barca?
H#N#annibal Barca is a man who needs no introduction. The Carthaginian general is one of the most brilliant military commanders of all time alongside a pantheon of other great leaders like Napoleon and Octavius.
What did Hannibal discover?
When he reached the Alps, Hannibal discovered a tribe of people who would hide in ravines and then rush down to attack any who attempted to pass into the mountains. His case seemed desperate, for the natives knew the land so well they did not need paths, and his troops could not easily navigate the mountainous terrain. Hannibal made camp in the valley and sent Gauls to reconnoiter the ground. He sent the Gaul not only because of their knowledge of like terrain, but also because their speech and manners were considered to be similar to that of the natives’ (Livy 21.32) . Thus, the Gauls were able to strike up conversation with the violent natives and discover that they left their posts at night and assumed that Hannibal would be unable to reach them from his side of the mountain (Ellis 64). Knowing this, Hannibal spent a day moving his troops in ways that kept the natives from attacking but also concealed his plans. That night, once the natives had dispersed, he had a larger than necessary number of fires lit and moved most of his troops up the mountain, leaving the cavalry with the baggage below. That morning, the natives watched the cavalry attempt to climb the mountain with the baggage and struggle over the terrain, and so they aimed an attack on the vulnerable force. Hannibal ran down from his higher ground and surprised the enemy, scattering them and securing the mountain pass for his men. By attacking the natives in this way, he insured that they would not attempt to fight him again as he captured villages for their food (Livy 21.33-34).
What is Hannibal's unusual way of making a path for himself?
Hannibal’s unusual way of making a path for himself has gone down in history as a great logistical invention and military triumph. This episode is an example of his great genius, and the innovative thinking that made him a formidable opponent to the Romans.
Why did Hannibal send Gauls?
Hannibal made camp in the valley and sent Gauls to reconnoiter the ground. He sent the Gaul not only because of their knowledge of like terrain, but also because their speech and manners were considered to be similar to that of the natives’ (Livy 21.32) .
What was the first problem Hannibal faced after the Rhone River?
The first problem Hannibal faced after the Rhone River was the Allobroges tribe. The leader of the tribe, Brancus, was ousted by his brother, and none could decide who had the right to rule the tribe. Hannibal’s arrival forced the question on him.
What were Hannibal's next innovations?
With the Alps behind him, Hannibal’s next innovations came at the Battles of Trebia and Trasimene.
What was the path of Hannibal blocked by?
Photo Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal. While descending the Alps, Hannibal’s path was blocked by large, limestone boulders. For a while, it looked as though he would have to turn back. That is, until he discovered how to destroy the massive rocks of the mountains.
Why did Hannibal choose Brancus as his leader?
Hannibal studied the tribe’s situation and politics and chose Brancus as the rightful leader, for he had the support of the leading men of the tribe. Hannibal’s service to Brancus earned him such gratitude that the Allobroges people gave him the provisions he would need to cross the mountains, especially warm clothes (Lazenby 48).
