How Hannibal’s War Elephants Helped to Determine His Route Through the Alps
Researchers modeled four Alpine passes and found the Col de la Traversette required the least energy for Hannibal’s 40,000 troops and 37 elephants.
9 Articles
9 Articles
Two biologists calculated the energy expenditure of climbing. The animals, thanks to their fat reserves, arrived almost all in Italy. The army instead was halved by hunger and cold
The question on which route the Carthaginian Hannibal crossed the Alps in 218 B.C. with his army has provoked numerous answers. An astounding energy analysis makes a remote, almost 3000-meter-high pass likely.
Hannibal's crossing of the Alps with 37 war elephants was a legendary venture. A new investigation explores the historical mystery with the means of biology. The results explain why almost all of the pachyderms did not survive the following winter.
Even for the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal, many roads once led to Rome. Which one he took with his elephants across the Alps, however, remains unclear. German researchers have now examined the campaign from an efficiency perspective and identified the most sensible route.
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