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...in May 218 he started out in Iberia--today's Spain--with around 50,000 soldiers, 9,000 cavalry, and 40 elephants. Iberia was already the site of several Carthaginian territories and hence an ideal staging area for his army. When he reached Italy's Po River Valley five months later, he could count fewer than 25,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and less than two dozen elephants. In two weeks in the mountains he had lost close to half his army. Some of his losses were due to the hazards in crossing rivers such as the Rhone, the weather--early Alpine snows had already begun before he left Iberia--and because of treacherous mountain terrain and hostile tribes. His route took him through the territories of some tribes with whom he was able to negotiate safe passage, but others took their toll as well. The Allobroges (Figure 1) later mentioned in Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, were among those whose territories he crossed. Hannibal soon learned their tactics and defeated them, capturing a number of their villages, but not before their ambushes had cost him the lives of soldiers, as well as pack animals, supplies, and time. The intent of Hannibal's campaign lies in the Carthaginian general's determination to transit the mountains, fighting only as necessary to achieve passage of his army. He hoped to rally support from Gallic tribes in Northern Italy and get at his enemy: the Roman army. Hannibal's crossing of the Alps was the first successful transit of mountains in history by a force of this size, and once across he was able to reconstitute his force, recruit, and wage war successfully on enemy soil until...
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