Who was Hannibal, when did he cross the Alps with his elephant army and where was Carthage?
He is seen as one of the greatest commanders in military history and famously marched across the Alps and into Italy
HANNIBAL Barca is widely seen as one of the greatest military commanders to have ever walked the Earth.
The Carthagian general's march across the Pyrenees and the Alps has echoed through the ages. Here's the incredible tale of the man Napolean rated as the greatest strategist of them all...
Where was Carthage?
The ancient city of Carthage was founded around 814BC and situated on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in modern day Tunisia.
It was part of the Phoenician civilisation, which encompassed the ancient coastlines of what are now Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and beyond.
At the city state's peak, it was the capital of the Carthaginian Empire, which at its peak between the sixth and second centuries BC stretched across much of North Africa into Spain.
After hundreds of years of fighting the Romans, Carthage's great enemy finally destroyed the city in 146 BC.
Who was Hannibal?
The legendary general Hannibal Barca was born in Carthage in 247 BC, the son of leading Carthaginian commander Hamilcar Barca.
When his father died in 229BC, Hannibal was made an officer in the Carthaginian army by his brother-in-law Hasdrubal.
Eight years later, following Hasrubal's assassination, Hannibal was unanimously chosen to lead the Carthagian Empire in Spain at the age of 26.
Over the course of his military career the general won a series of decisive victories, first consolidating Carthage's holdings in Spain and then during the Second Punic War against Rome.
After marching his vast army and war elephants into Italy he won three epic battles over the Romans – the trebia, lake Trasimene and Cannae, establishing his reputation as one of history's great military leaders.
Hannibal's Carthaginian forces held much of Italy for 15 years, although the conflict eventually reached a stalemate and he was unable to march on Rome.
Despite many more notable victories, he began to lose ground and, with the Romans launching a counter-invasion against his homeland, Hannibal returned to Carthage in 203 BC.
A decisive defeat at the Battle of Zama in 201BC which ended the Second Punic War dealt a heavy blow to Carthage, whose empire was shattered, and to Hannibal, who fell in standing.
Although he had success as a politician during the peacetime that followed, he was unpopular with Carthaginian aristocrats and went into voluntary exile first with the Selucid Empire, then in the ancient region of Bithynia.
In his later years Hannibal continued to fight the hated Romans and their allies, and in one naval victory had large pots filled with venomous snakes flung onto his enemies' ships.
The precise date and cause of the great soldier's death are unknown – various accounts have him dying of fever after being wounded or poisoning himself, at some point between 183 and 181 BC.
When did Hannibal cross the Alps with his elephant army?
Hannibal's epic crossing of the Alps was one of the most notable moments of the Second Punic War and is still seen as one of the great military achievements of the ancient world.
The reason why Hannibal elected to go over the imposing mountain ranges was to avoid Roman land forces and also the formidable Roman navy.
The great commander's march took place in 218 BC and had to be carefully planned to avoid the worst of the winter weather.
Records suggest Hannibal and his forces reached the summit of the Alps around October - meaning they would have indeed faced snowy weather despite their leader's plans.
Additionally, most of Hannibal's men were comprised of fighters from Africa and Iberia who were not accustomed to such brutal conditions.
Many men were killed on the descent of the Alps due to the treachous conditions and the act the range is a lot steeper on the Italian side.
Hannibal's vaunted elephant army also run the risked of being heavily depleted due to a lack of sufficient food to feed the mighty creatures.