Hannibal's Last Elephant Cost Him an EYE… #Shorts
Pack: 33 - Hannibal's Last Elephant Cost Him an EYE…
In the spring of 217 BCE, Hannibal crossed the flooded marshes of Etruria riding the only elephant he had left, and an untreated eye infection cost him the sight of one eye. That June, at Lake Trasimene, he destroyed a Roman army. The story told by Polybius and Livy, in paintings, a statue and our own map.
- After the winter battle at the Trebia, rain and snow killed all of Hannibal's elephants except one, Polybius says; Livy's counts differ (Polybius 3.74; Livy 21.56–58).
- To surprise the consul Flaminius, Hannibal took the short route: four days and three nights through flooded marshes, his men sleeping on dead pack animals to keep above the water (Polybius 3.79).
- Hannibal rode "the only elephant left alive," suffering from an eye infection that, untreated, cost him the sight of one eye (Polybius 3.79, tr. Shuckburgh; Livy 22.2).
- In June 217 BCE he ambushed Flaminius's army in the mist at Lake Trasimene; at least 15,000 Romans died, Flaminius among them (Britannica; Polybius 3.84).
Genius or reckless gamble: which was it? Tell us in the comments. Full story in our documentary, The Full History of Rome.
Quick answers
What is “Hannibal's Last Elephant Cost Him an EYE…” about?
In the spring of 217 BCE, Hannibal crossed the flooded marshes of Etruria riding the only elephant he had left, and an untreated eye infection cost him the sight of one eye. That June, at Lake Trasimene, he destroyed a Roman army. The story told by Polybius and Livy, in paintings, a statue and our own map.
What are the key facts?
After the winter battle at the Trebia, rain and snow killed all of Hannibal's elephants except one, Polybius says; Livy's counts differ (Polybius 3.74; Livy 21.56–58). To surprise the consul Flaminius, Hannibal took the short route: four days and three nights through flooded marshes, his men sleeping on dead pack animals to keep above the water (Polybius 3.79).
What sources is this Short based on?
It cites Polybius, Histories, tr. Evelyn S. Shuckburgh (1889), 3.74, 3.79, 3.84 (Project Gutenberg); Livy, History of Rome, tr. Rev. Canon Roberts (1905), Book 21 (Wikisource); Livy, History of Rome, tr. Roberts (1905), Book 22 (Wikisource); Britannica, Battle of Trasimene. Links are in the Sources list below.
Sources
- Polybius, Histories, tr. Evelyn S. Shuckburgh (1889), 3.74, 3.79, 3.84 (Project Gutenberg)
- Livy, History of Rome, tr. Rev. Canon Roberts (1905), Book 21 (Wikisource)
- Livy, History of Rome, tr. Roberts (1905), Book 22 (Wikisource)
- Britannica, Battle of Trasimene
Images
- Hannibal crossing the Alps on an elephant, c. 1625–26 — attributed to Nicolas Poussin — Public domain —
- Hannibal crossing the Rhône, 1878 — Henri-Paul Motte — Public domain —
- Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps, 1812 — J. M. W. Turner — Public domain —
- Hannibal, marble, 1704, Louvre — Sébastien Slodtz, photo by Jastrow — Public domain —
- Lago Trasimeno wide view, 2006 — Schwarzer Kater (cropped by Daniel Case) — CC BY 2.0 —
- Map of Hannibal's march — Shadowfetch Studio — our own work
