Did Hannibal actually cross the Alps with elephants?
Did Hannibal actually cross the Alps with elephants? The famous crossing of the Alps occurred in 218 BC, a period when Carthage and Rome were competing for world dominance. Hannibal traversed the mountains–once thought uncrossable–with a force of more than 30,000 soldiers, 15,000 cavalry and most famous of all – 37 elephants.
How far did Hannibal have to walk to reach the Alps?
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.