© Getty Images

Hannibal Barca (247-183 BCE) -

Hannibal Barca is considered one of the best army commanders in history. He was from the city of Carthage, found on the eastern side of modern-day Tunisia. During his military career, he sought revenge against the Roman Republic for the defeat of the Carthaginians in the First Punic War (264-241 BCE).

© Getty Images

Polybius -

We know about Hannibal's heroism because Polybius wrote a 40-volume series called 'The Histories' in the 1st century BCE.

© Getty Images

Why did Hannibal do it? -

In order to understand why Hannibal crossed the Alps with 37 elephants, we have to look further back to his father, Hamilcar Barca (275-228 BCE).

© Getty Images

Battle of Mylae (260 BCE) -

Hamilcar Barca lost the First Punic War against Rome when his army was beaten at the Battle of Mylae in Sicily.

© Getty Images

The loss of Sicily -

When the Carthaginians lost Sicily, it meant they had less land and money. More importantly, their pride had been dented.

© Getty Images

Hamilcar and Spain (236 BCE) -

To fix the problem of money, Hamilcar set off to Spain to conquer new land. The Roman Republic controlled northern Spain, but this was not a problem. Yet.

© Getty Images

The oath -

Hamilcar took his son, then a nine-year-old Hannibal, along with him to Spain. He took him to a sacrificial chamber and made him swear an oath above a roaring fire that he would never be a friend of Rome.

© Getty Images

Hamilcar drowns (228 BCE) -

Soon after, Hamilcar drowned in battle, leaving the army to Hannibal's brother-in-law Hansdrubal the Fair, who was said to be very handsome.

© Getty Images

Commander-in-chief (221 BCE) -

When Hansdrubal was assassinated, the Carthaginian government confirmed Hannibal as the next leader of the army.

© Getty Images

What did Europe look like? -

Before the Second Punic War, Europe was dominated by the Roman Republic. However, the pictured red areas were mostly allies of the Romans and so could be easily swayed to support the Carthaginians.

© Getty Images

The Boundary -

Hannibal wanted to consolidate his power and so he conquered much land in southern Spain. He wanted to get enough money to eventually attack the Romans. The Romans were furious and said that Hannibal could only pillage south of the Ebro River.

© Public Domain

The Gauls -

The Romans were being lenient because of the Gauls, a group of Celtic peoples scattered across Europe. They were made up of many tribes with different allegiances.

© Getty Images

Gauls and Romans -

The Romans had been fighting with them over northern Italy for a long time, and the insurgencies were taking up time and money.

© Getty Images

The siege of Saguntum (219 BCE) -

Hannibal saw Rome's preoccupation as a window of opportunity and invaded Saguntum, a Roman city in Spain. Hannibal won and thus started the Second Punic War.

© Getty Images

Hannibal's route -

Hannibal went back to the city of Carthage and proposed his plan to beat the Romans by attacking them in Italy. There were grumbles, but the city accepted. Against all advice, he decided to march across some of the most treacherous terrain. Much of the land was also protected by tribes in allegiance with the enemy.

© Getty Images

Numidian horsemen -

Even so, Hannibal had a very strong army, the jewels of which were the Numidian cavalry. They were known as the best horsemen in Africa.

© Getty Images

War elephants -

Also from Africa, Hannibal took 37 war elephants along for the ride. For much of their crossing it was winter, a season that neither the elephants nor the Carthaginians were accustomed to.

© Getty Images

Crossing the Pyrenees -

Hannibal disobeyed the Romans and crossed the Ebro with his army. He went on to cross the Pyrenees with everything in tow: the baggage, the horses, and the elephants.

© Getty Images

Publius Scipio -

Rome was not so tied up with the Gauls to ignore Hannibal's threat. They sent Publius Scipio with 60 ships to sail down to Massalia to meet Hannibal, but he was too slow and completely missed him.

© Getty Images

Hannibal crossing the Rhône -

Hannibal reached the Rhône where there were two major challenges. He had to cross with elephants, and battle the Cavares, a Gaul tribe, on the other side.

© Getty Images

Alexander the Great -

For the crossing, Hannibal copied Alexander the Great's method by sending a group of troops up the river to cross at a different point. They all build rafts to move their things across.

© Getty Images

Crossing the Rhône -

When the group had reached the other side, they sent a signal to Hannibal, who then crossed. By the time Hannibal was on the other side, the Cavares were surrounded by Carthaginian troops.

© Getty Images

Shields -

It is said that when Hannibal's troops were on the river, they beat their shields loudly and shouted at the Cavares so as to psych themselves up.

© Getty Images

Absolute defeat -

Almost every single Cavare was killed when they crossed the river. It was an overwhelming defeat for the tribe.

© Getty Images

Crossing the Alps (218 BCE) -

But the battle they faced against the Gauls was nothing compared to their battle against the elements when they crossed the Alps.

© Getty Images

The treacherous Italian Alps -

The most difficult part of the march had not yet been completed. The Alps are a lot steeper on the Italian side, and Hannibal lost many people and bags to the depths below.

© Getty Images

The losses -

It is unknown exactly how many died, but historians estimate that 40 elephants, 9,000 cavalry, and 30,000 soldiers died.

© Getty Images

Fighting -

Hannibal fought on and off with his army for 17 years! They went all over Europe fighting the Romans.

© Getty Images

Battle of Zama -

After years of tiresome marching and weekly battles, Hannibal's troops were weaker than when they started. Many men had been lost. Finally, Publius Scipio and his Roman army defeated the Carthaginians in the epic Battle of Zuma in 202 BCE. 

Sources: (Britannica)(The Guardian)(History)

See also: The incredible legacy of the Roman Empire

© Getty Images