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 2 examines the writings of Livy, comparing them to those of Polybius and determining which of the two can be deemed to be the more reliable. Law then draws his final conclusions.