Hannibal Crosses the Alps

Hannibal was a great general from a city called Carthage in North Africa. Over 2,200 years ago, Carthage and Rome were at war. Hannibal came up with a bold plan. He would march his army over the tall Alps mountains to surprise Rome. He even took war elephants with him.

A Dangerous Trip

Hannibal started his march in 218 BC. He had about 40,000 soldiers and 37 elephants. The trip over the Alps was very hard. It was cold, snowy, and icy. Many soldiers and animals died along the way. But Hannibal kept going and made it into Italy.

Fighting Rome

Once in Italy, Hannibal fought many battles with the Romans. He won big victories against much larger Roman armies. He stayed in Italy for over 15 years. In the end, Rome sent an army to attack Carthage. Hannibal had to go home to defend his city, and he lost the war.

Fun Facts

• Hannibal is still known as one of the greatest generals ever.
• Most of the elephants did not survive the trip over the Alps.
• At one battle, Hannibal beat a Roman army more than twice the size of his own.

Did You Know?

Armies even today study Hannibal's battle plans to learn how to win against a bigger enemy.