How did Hannibal cross the Alps with elephants?
Question from Mohammed Nazir
During his war with Rome, the ancient sources say that Hannibal marched his army across the Alps in just 16 days with 37 war elephants in tow. Some historians believe that Hannibal used a smaller species of African elephant, which would have fared better through the narrow passes, but still would have needed 100 kilograms of feed each day.
Some of the beasts may have perished during the crossing, but we know from later accounts of Hannibal’s army that war elephants played a role at the vanguard of his army, terrifying the Romans on the other side of the field.
Answered by James Horton for Brain Dump in How It Works issue 120.
To feature in our Brain Dump section, send us your questions to howitworks@futurenet.com or message us on Facebook or Twitter
For more science and technology articles, pick up the latest copy of How It Works from all good retailers or from our website now. If you have a tablet or smartphone, you can also download the digital version onto your iOS or Android device. To make sure you never miss an issue of How It Works magazine, subscribe today!
