Crossing the Rhone

Historical moment: Crossing the Rhone

Where exactly Hannibal crossed isn't known, but Polybius says it was four days march north of the mouth of the river. What we do know with more certainty is that his crossing was opposed by the Volcae - a local Gallic tribe. Hannibal's strategy was to send his nephew Hanno with a detachment of troops north to surprise the Volcae. When Hannibal landed on the opposite bank, Hanno sprung his ambush. The Volcae's raucous howling turned to panic as they were caught in a classic pincer movement.

Hannibal then had to get the rest of his army across including his elephants. Polybius says that Hannibal built rafts, covered them with soil and urged a female elephant onto these floating islands and the rest of the herd followed. However, once the rafts were detached from the bank, the elephants panicked and were forced to make their own way across to the other side – Polybius believed the elephants walked across the bottom of the river using their trunks as snorkels!