Hannibal’s Crossing of the Alps

Without a doubt, one of the biggest events of the Second Punic War was when Hannibal's crossing of the Alps caught the Romans off guard. In fact, Hannibal's route across the Alps has been a matter of controversy among historians, many of whom have their own opinions on the matter. Despite that, the march of Hannibal and his army remains legendary to this day. It was one of the most celebrated achievements of any military force in ancient warfare. Hannibal managed to lead his Carthaginian army over the Alps and into Italy to take the war directly to the Roman Republic, bypassing Roman and allied land garrisons and Roman naval dominance.

Hannibal was always well informed about the situation in Rome, provided by the secret information of Gallic agents throughout Rome. He quickly decided the best time to launch a surprise attack and began the march of his army through the Alps, which were sparsely populated at the time. This event became known as Hannibal's crossing of the Alps. From the Siege of Saguntum to the march through the Pyrenees and the Rhone and then to the death-defying ascent and descent in the Alps, Hannibal's crossing was one of the important achievements of the War. Punic for the second time, and is one of the most famous achievements of any military force in ancient warfare.

• Time: 218 BC