Hannibal in the Alps

In 218 BCE, Hannibal led his campaign against Rome through the Alps. Having already crossed the seemingly most difficult peaks with his army, he faced an unexpected challenge as they began their descent toward the plains. The route was shorter this way, but the steep slopes made progress significantly harder. The perilous crossing was recorded by the Roman historian Livy. Hannibal himself left no writings or records. All the sources about him were authored by chroniclers from his enemies' ranks, yet even they acknowledged his exceptional strategic abilities.

*"During the crossing, the path ran alongside cliffs, with narrow and slippery sections. Walking was nearly impossible. A single misstep or slip meant the danger of falling, and those who fell were crushed. An indescribable chaos ensued, as men and animals stumbled forward in one another's tracks, repeatedly toppling onto each other as they fell. They constantly arrived at the edge of new chasms. The rocky path was narrow between the two precipices and so steep that even a lightly equipped soldier struggled to traverse it, clinging wherever possible to sparse bushes or roots—if any were within reach. It must have been an arduous terrain to begin with, but due to a recent landslide, a chasm some 300 meters deep had formed. The cavalry halted before it; continuing the route seemed impossible. Hannibal, traveling with the rear guard, could not initially understand why the march had stopped. When informed that progress was impossible, he rushed ahead to inspect the obstacle. He quickly realized there was no choice but to find a detour. Even though the longer route would delay them, they had to navigate an unfamiliar terrain of rocks and chasms, untraveled by any human before. Fortune, however, did not favor them this time either… The men had no choice but to slide and roll forward across the slick ice and melting snow.

But it soon became clear that the men and animals were struggling in vain; they had to clear another path. The snow, however, was so thick that they could only dig through and remove it with tremendous effort. They set up camp on the ridge. Bridges had to be built over the chasms, and a path had to be carved for the army to advance. They carved a passage into the rock. This task was ingeniously accomplished using fire and water. Felled logs were piled together, and when the wind became favorable, they were set alight. Once the rocks became heated, they were doused with snowmelt until they became brittle. Then they were worked with pickaxes. It took a long time, but with this exhausting labor, they managed to create a winding path and smooth the steep slope, allowing the heavily laden animals and elephants to descend to the plains."*

Tomaž Weber "A vikingektől az űrhajósokig", Móra könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1984