Hannibal poll

[Jona Lendering]

The biggest and most important question of ancient military history: where did Hannibal cross the Alps?

(My personal opinion, based on Peter Connolly, can be read here, but give your own opinion first.)

[Eleatic Guest]

The biggest and most important question of ancient military history: where did Hannibal cross the Alps?

What? Only the most important one? Que insignificante...

Have you not heard about the rival Greek school which argues that Hannibal's crossing was but a child's feat compared to Alexander's UNBELIEVABLY DARING AND EXPERT AND SUPERSEXY crossing of the Hindukush? wink:

[Jona Lendering]

What? Only the most important one? Que insignificante...

Yes of course! Compared to the utter insignificance of the question, the amount of ink that has been spilled about it makes this a question of peerless importance. :wink: Not even the nature of Alexander's relation to Hephaestion, an equally unimportant subject, has led to so many publications.

[Eleatic Guest]

Ok. I will take a different approach: Is there a definite answer, now or in the future, anyway possible? Or do we have forever to speculate or resolve the question by voting?

[Jona Lendering]

The only way to solve the problem, I think, will be archaeology. But I suppose that weapons etc. that were left behind must have been washed away by melting snow. It think that Connolly's approach is the best we have.