Hannibal Crosses the Alps
A Route Examined and
a Proposed Alternate Route

Polybius vs. Livy:
Debate over Hannibal's March

By Russ Lockwood

The bulk of information we have to go on about Hannibal's route is a pair of histories run through the wringer of multiple translations and copying as well as some slim fragments here and there in other sources. Archeological evidence is rare and suspect. The entire controversy would disappear in an instant if, one day, an aerial survey would spot a couple hundred Carthaginian corpses tucked in a ravine. Not only would it confirm the route, it would also provide extensive information about Carthaginian armor, weaponry, and equipment. I suspect it will eventually happen, much the way the Neolithic hunter was found by hikers several years back. Until then, it's ancient accounts, geographic matching, and a dose of intentions.

The two main histories come from Polybius and Livy, and they do not agree. Indeed, there is a fairly long passage in Livy that shows the controversy of which route and pass existed when Livy was writing--between 29BC and 17 AD. "I cannot understand why there should be any doubt about the route he [Hannibal] followed over the Alps." [Livy XXI, 38] Polybius (born 203BC, died 120BC) wrote his history relatively soon after the war. Note that Livy used Polybius as a source for his histories.

But within each history are the clues of the journey--assuming, and this is a big assumption--that the translations are correct. With that, you can start to piece together at least a theory, as many historians have done over the centuries, about timing and distance. The trick is to figure out which information to use from each history, and it is from here that opinions diverge.

Distance and Timing

Polybius notes that the distance from the Ebro River to Emporaie, a city in the foothills of the Pyrenees was 1600 stades (about 280km). From Emporiae to the crossing of the Rhone River is another 1600 stades. "From the crossing of the Rhone, if one follows the bank of the river upstream as far as the foot of the Pass from the Alps into Italy, the distance in 1400 stades (about 245km). The length of the pass which Hannibal was to cross to bring him down into the plain of the Po is about 1200 stades (about 211km)." [Polybius III, 39] And that gives a reference point for a start.

Now the timing. Polybius says from the Rhone crossing to the "Island" was a four day march. Here, he was "joining forces with this prince [Brancus] and driving out his rival."

At this point, routes vary. Polybius says Hannibal's army marched 10 days along an unnamed river, covering about 140km, to a spot described as the ascent of the Alps.

Livy says Hannibal "turned left to the territory of the Tricastini, proceeding thence past the borders of the Vocontii, to the Tricorii and finding nothing to stop him until he reached the River Druentia...From the Druentia Hannibal marched towards the Alps mainly through open country, and reached the foothills [of the Alps]..." (Book XXI, 31, page 55) Livy attached no tally of days to this account.

Both Polybius and Livy say the crossing of the Alps took 15 days.

Polybius now goes into detail about the timing. Hannibal pitched camp in order to send a Gallic recon of the first defile. He then "discovered that it was the enemy's habit to remain under arms in their positions and guard them carefully during the daytime, but to withdraw at night to a neighboring town. So Hannibal revised his plans in light of this report and devised the following strategm. He advanced with his whole army quite openly, and when he approached the part of the road where further movement would be threatened, he pitched camp only a short distance from the enemy. As soon as it was dark..." (Book III, 50, page 223) he led a force and captured the now unguarded defile.

At daybreak, Hannibal fought and routed the Allobroges, ultimately suffering heavy losses in the battle, but also taking their town and its provisions. Here, he rested for one day.

Livy recounts the same tale, but inserts a day while his Gauls recon. However, he does not mention a day of rest after capturing the town.

Both agree that in the next three days, the Carthaginians marched in peace, and on the fourth day met with tribal eldars brandishing promises of peace, guides, and hostages to ensure good conduct.

Polybius notes that for two days the army marched as though at peace under the direction of native guides, but were then ambushed by the treacherous tribes. Livy doesn't say how long, but agrees with Polybius that after the ambush, Hannibal was forced to camp for one night with only half his army at a big rock. The next morning, the attackers withdrew and he reassembled his army to march, with some skirmishing that day. Here Polybius' narrative says "On the ninth day of his march, Hannibal reached the top of the pass." Note that if you count the days, this would be the ninth day in Polybius' narrative. Livy's account also tallies nine days.

At the Pass

At the pass, Polybius notes Hannibal "pitched camp and halted for two days and rest...by this date it was nearing the time of the setting of the Pleiades." Livy agrees with the two days, but says "it was the season of the setting of the Pleiades--winter was near and it began to snow."

The next day, the Carthaginians started to descend, but ran into the area of landslide and the impassable path, and then came the fruitless attempt to detour around it. It took a day for the path to be wide enough for horses and mules.

Back to Polybius: "Then he took the Numidians and set them in relays to the work of building up the path. After three days of this toilsome effort, he succeeded in getting his elephants across...After he had reassembled all his forces, Hannibal resumed the descent and three days after leaving the precipice I have just described, he arrived on the plains." [Polybius III, 55-56]

Livy agrees and uses the word "precipice" to describe the landslide area.

Here, some of the numbers seem off. If Hannibal reached the pass on the ninth day, then day 10 and 11 were days of rest. Day 12 he started to descend but reached the landslide and could find no alternate route around. Day 13 was spent fixing the path for horses and mules. Day 14 and 15 were spent fixing the path for elephants (assuming Polybius' "After three days of this toilsome effort" includes that first day). Day 16, 17, and 18 completed the descent to the plains of Italy. Note that it would be 19 days if the precipice required three additional days to clear a path for the elephants besides the one day for the horses and mules.

Livy notes that "four days were spent in the neighborhood of this precipice." The troops were "given three days rest to recover from the fatigue of their road building. Thence the descent was continued to the plains."

Polybius says Hannibal's army descended into the territory of the Insubres. Livy says it was the territory of the Taurini. They cannot agree on the pass used.

Hannibal Crosses the Alps A Route Examined and a Proposed Alternate Route

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