This page was created in 1998; last modified on 28 April 2020. The fact that the Allobroges lived on the banks of the Isère in the second century BCE does not prove that this was their home in the third century.]. As we can see in the table below, only one pass fits the sixth condition. In 208 Hasdrubal, detaching a force from the main Carthaginian army, crossed the Alps (possibly by his brother’s route, although no great losses are recorded) to go to Hannibal’s aid. from modern Abriès and l'Echalp to Pian del re and Saluzzo; advocated by Sir Gavin de Beer, A. Guilleaume, and J. Prevas. First to oppose the crossing was a tribelet of the Allobroges, who may have been angered by Hannibal… While Rome had been idle and leaving her allies in Catalonia to their fate at the hands of the Carthiginians, the Massiliots… To use waypoints, click a unit, press SHIFT, right-click each point along the path, release the SHIFT key, … Follow a team of experts as they solve the enduring mystery of exactly where Hannibal and his troops crossed the Alps to launch a surprise attack on Rome. Explanations like these are absent from Livy's story. As a consequence, we cannot choose either of these historical texts as "most reliable". Polybius gave the number of Roman dead at 70,000, while Livy reported 55,000; either way it was disaster for Rome. Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps is an oil on canvas painting by J. M. W. Turner, first exhibited in 1812. Hannibal in the Alps The Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-182 BCE) was one of the greatest military leaders in history. Crossing the Alps Hannibal left Spain in 218 BC with 90 000 infantry, 12 000 cavalry and 37 war elephants to embark on what is regarded as one of the greatest military achievements in history. He was unable to take the road along the coast in case he fall in with the Roman army under Publius … He has been featured in a documentary about Hannibal filmed in the Alps by the BBC and has spoken on Hannibal … His real source cannot be identified, but we can be confident that this intermediary was a careful author, who meticulously copied all the chronological indications he found in the eyewitness report. His most famous campaign took place during the Second Punic War (218-202), … from modern Bourg St Maurice and La Rosière to La Thuile and Aosta (N90 and SS26); from modern Bramans and Val Cenis to Bar Cenisio and Susa (N6 and SP212); advocated by Napoleon Bonaparte, H. Nissen, D. Procter. That marked the end of Hannibal’s military campaigns on behalf of Carthage. For as long as he had been crossing flat country, all the various tribal chieftains of the Allobroges had kept well clear of him, since they were terrified of his cavalry and their barbarian escort. The enemy town that was taken on the third day, can easily be identified with modern Gap, because it is a three days' march downstream from Briançon (i.e., days four, five and six). After about four more days of passage along river valleys—very possibly the Isère and Arc rivers, although that is debated—through increasing elevations, Hannibal was ambushed by hostile Gauls at a “white-rock” place apparently one day’s march from the summit. Museo de Zaragoza Zaragoza, Spain. There is an extra argument why this pass is the route taken by Hannibal: the distances best suit the distances mentioned by Polybius (252 kilometers from the Rhône to the beginning of the ascent, and from there to the plain of the Po 216 kilometers). Livy states that Hannibal started his march on the banks of a river called Druentia; this cannot be the Durance, because it is too southerly. 1. Proposed routes have included the low passes at Montgenèvre, Little St. Bernard, and Mount Cenis, as well as the high passes at Col du Clapier–Savine Coche and Col de la Traversette. $9.50. In the same year, in Sicily, Syracuse fell, and by 209 Tarentum, in south Italy, had also been recaptured by the Romans. 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. He suggests a more southerly route. His most famous campaign took place during the Second Punic War (218-202), when he caught the Romans off guard by crossing the Alps. All content copyright © 1995–2020 Livius.org. Old Antique Print 1858 Fine Art Hannibal Crossing Alps Mountains People 19th. Suddenly in the early summer of 216, Hannibal moved southward and seized the large army supply depot at Cannae on the Aufidus River. The pass has to offer sufficient room to build a camp for. [The argument that Hannibal encountered the Allobroges and consequently must have passed along the Isère is not conclusive, because Celtic tribes were not very sedentary. from modern Briançon and Montgenèvre to Cesana Torinese and Oulx (N94 and SS24); advocated by Neumann, Fuchs, Gaetano de Sanctis and Peter Connolly. In addition, many of his Gallic supporters tired of a war in which the promised plunder had dried up, and they returned north to their homelands. 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. Polybius about Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps. In order to go to the help of his country, Hannibal was forced to abandon Italy in 203. This river crossing is celebrated in its own right as being one that was clearly conceived and crisply executed. Furthermore, the tribes living in the Alps would fight anyone who came through, so he had to be ready for a rough ride. When combined with the slow but steady loss of his African veterans to combat deaths and injuries, the departure of Hannibal’s Gallic soldiers represented a qualitative and quantitative erosion of his army. View in Street View. His most famous campaign took place during the Second Punic War (218-202), when he caught the Romans off guard by crossing the Alps. 32.6. Another approach of the problem is to look at the passes in the Alps, and to find out which one suits the texts best. Mustering his forces at the summit of the Alps, Hannibal remained camped there for several days before his descent into Italy. from modern Abriès and l'Echalp to Pra Miraflores and Pinerolo. There early in August the Battle of Cannae (modern Monte di Canne) was fought. He also positioned his army in such a way that the Romans had to engage it by facing into a hot summer wind carrying dust that irritated the eyes and reduced visibility. Explore connections. Together they head for the Swiss border and freedom. Although a preliminary armistice had already been declared and the Carthaginian armies had accepted Scipio’s severe terms (winter 204–203), Hannibal concentrated the remnants of the Carthaginian forces at Hadrumetum (modern Sousse, Tunisia). Scipio was severely wounded, and the Romans withdrew to Placentia. The Pyrenees and the Alps served as a … Hannibal Barca’s death has remained a mystery, and archeologists and historians … Move quickly to lessen their preparation time. From the Druentia, Hannibal approached the Alps … Besides, Polybius writes that, I have questioned men who were actually present on these occasions about the circumstances, have personally explored the country, and have crossed the Alps myself to obtain first-hand information and evidence.note[Polybius, World history, 3.48.2.]. 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. Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps and subsequent invasion and ravaging of Italy during the Second Punic War is one of the greatest epics in all of ancient history. from modern Bramans and Le Planay to Grange Buttigliera and Susa; advocated by Perrin, P. Azan, Collins, Wilkinson, and Serge Lancel. Those unnamed Gauls attacked the baggage animals and rolled heavy stones down from the heights, causing both men and animals to panic and lose their footings on the precipitous paths. (Besides, the question seems inevitable how Hannibal's men could possibly see Italy if it were snowing, as Livy indicates.) Controversy has surrounded the details of Hannibal’s movements after the crossing of the Rhône. Realizing that Hannibal probably planned to cross the Alps, Scipio returned to northern Italy to await him. It is harder to establish the route during the first days. Map of Hannibal's Crossing … 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 signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The famous crossing of the Alps occurred in 218 BC, a period when Carthage and Rome were competing for world dominance. For example, he explains at the beginning of his story why the Celtic tribes had not attacked Hannibal before he started his crossing of the Alps. Hannibal, except for the capture of Tarentum (modern Taranto), gained only minor victories (215–213). The fact that the Allobroges lived on the banks of the Isère in the second century BCE does not prove that this was their home in the third century.]. Hannibal, furthermore, nurtured the vain hope that the Italian allies of Rome would defect and cause civil war. John Prevas is a New York Times bestselling author whose first book, Hannibal Crosses the Alps, ignited the debate among academics over which pass Hannibal used -- a debate which continues today. Virtually 1 in 5 Roman men of military age were slaughtered, and households at every level of society were affected. 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. After making his historic crossing of the Alps with elephants transporting supplies and troops, Hannibal marches on Rome in a war of revenge. The sheer … Hannibal lost 20,000 men in defeat, but he himself escaped Masinissa’s pursuit. 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. Profile of Hannibal, including a discussion of the Battle of Zama. He not only had an army of tens of thousands to feed, but he also had two dozen war elephants that he needed to use in battle against the Romans. From north to south, these passes are: One of these passes has to suit the following pieces of information, on which Polybius and Livy agree: Condition #6 is the least important, because Hannibal's speech was probably invented. Probably, Hannibal had always wanted to take the road to the Col du Mont Genèvre. The problem of determining the exact location of the camp is compounded by the fact that the name of the pass was either not known to Polybius and his sources or it was thought not sufficiently important to provide to mostly Roman readers. How Hannibal's crossing of the Alps with 30,000 soldiers was even harder than first thought as researchers find he took a perilous route on a narrow bridle path 9,500ft above sea level. Those … Now that we know that Hannibal crossed the Alps between Briançon and Susa, we can try to find the other stations of his march. Mysterious Death. The pass which Hannibal took during the second night, can be identified with the Col de Cabre.note[The argument that Hannibal encountered the Allobroges and consequently must have passed along the Isère is not conclusive, because Celtic tribes were not very sedentary. Almost at the very moment when the ambassadors were returning from Rome with the preliminary peace proposals, the Carthaginians violated the armistice. Boxed in on three sides, the Romans’ avenue of retreat was closed when Hannibal’s cavalry returned after completing its rout of the Roman cavalry. Polybius understands the military situation better. Hannibal traversed the mountains–once thought … The mercenary troops of his front line and the African infantry of his second line together were routed, and Scipio, seeing that Hannibal’s third line, the veteran soldiers, was still intact, reformed his front and brought up the Numidian cavalry of Masinissa, his Numidian ally, in the Carthaginian rear. shipping: + $9.29 shipping . The arguments in this article were brought forward for the first time by Peter Connolly in his book Hannibal and the Enemies of Rome (1978 London). Left to the nation in the Turner Bequest, it was acquired by the National Gallery in London in 1856, and is now held by the Tate Gallery. Advertisement There is no real certainty of the size of force that Hannibal … 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. Hannibal's route across the Alps is one of those historical questions that cause endless debate even though the subject has no importance whatsoever. Hannibal was now deficient in cavalry. This was a very common practice in ancient historiography: the reader expected short speeches in which the actors explained what they were doing and why. Livy and Polybius indirectly used the same eyewitness account. ‘Hannibal Crossing the Alps on an Elephant,’ a painting by Nicolas Poussin. shipping: + $6.80 shipping . He has first-hand knowledge of the Alps, has read the original eyewitness account, and understands army maneuvers. It is a story replete with high drama, immense … The fort captured by Hannibal's men must be the Mont Saint-Mens (ancient Vapincum), immediately south of the modern town. Hasdrubal was killed in the battle, and his severed head was delivered to Hannibal’s camp; that reportedly led Hannibal to lament, “There lies the fate of Carthage.” His last hope of making a recovery in central Italy thus dashed, Hannibal concentrated his forces in Bruttium, where with the help of his remaining allies he was able to resist Roman pressure for four more years. Hannibal took countermeasures, but those involved him in heavy losses in men. That great land victory, which came to be seen as the textbook example of a double envelopment, brought the desired effect: many regions began to defect from the Italic confederacy. $7.12. It is therefore tempting to regard Polybius as more reliable than Livy. The Alpine crossing Some details of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps have been preserved, chiefly by Polybius, who is said to have traveled the route himself. Since Polybius and Livy both liken the Alps to the walls of Rome, it is likely that the speech was already included in the original account. That victory brought both Gauls and Ligurians to Hannibal’s side, and his army was considerably augmented by Celtic recruits. Finally, says Polybius, Hannibal “succeeded in getting his elephants across, but the animals were in a miserable condition from hunger”. Hannibal in the Alps The Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-182 BCE) was one of the greatest military leaders in history. Reinforcements of about 4,000 cavalry under Gaius Centenius were intercepted before they arrived and were also destroyed. “We found scientifically significant evidence of these same bugs in a genetic microbial signature precisely dating to the time of the Punic invasion,” said Allen in a news … First to oppose the crossing was a tribelet of the Allobroges, who may have been angered by Hannibal’s intervention on behalf of Brancus. Home » Articles » Person » Hannibal Barca » Hannibal in the Alps, About Pictures Sources Countries Languages Categories Tags Thanks FAQ Donate Contact Articles Stubs. $19.93. 2. At the beginning of the treacherous passage, the Carthaginian … 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. All rights reserved. Both texts can be found here. The Drôme and Isère are possible, and the first one should be preferred because in that case the distance to Gap can be covered in two or three days. On the third day he captured a Gallic town and from its stores provided the army with rations for two or three days. These explanatory speeches were usually included before a particularly important action took place. Accounts of the campaigns that followed differ greatly, but they culminate at the Battle of Zama. 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