The Alps of Hannibal

Controversial for centuries, the route across the Alps taken by Hannibal, his Carthaginian army and his famous elephants in 218 BCE formed the basis of an extended scholarly dispute between William John Law (1786-1869) and Robert Ellis (1819/20-85). Fought in the pages of books and the Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology, their exchanges lasted several years. Ellis' Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of the Alps (1853) and An Enquiry into the Ancient Routes between Italy and Gaul (1867) are also reissued in this series. Published in 1866, this two-volume work was Law's major contribution to the debate, examining the various theories and historical accounts. Modern scholarship has questioned, however, whether either man was right. Volume 1 examines the accounts of Polybius, using numerous modern measurements to try to gauge their accuracy. It also evaluates the reliability of previous suggestions for Hannibal's route at each stage of the journey.