Hannibal - Marsch auf Rom

Even today it is considered one of the greatest military feats ever. In 218 BC, a Carthaginian army of ninety thousand men and three dozen elephants set out to cross the Alps to challenge the might of Rome. The exact route chosen by Hannibal, its charismatic commander, has been a matter of dispute ever since. Now, researchers believe they might be able to track his route. It is one of the mysteries of history, which way the Carthaginian commander Hannibal took in 218 BC to cross the Alps. Now researchers believe to be able to prove his exact route on the grounds of the remnants of horse manure. Even during his own lifetime, Hannibal's feat became legend. In five months, thousands of soldiers and cavalry marched about 1,500 km from the Iberian peninsula across the Alps into Italy. Especially the war elephants drew great attention - such animals had never before been seen in the region