Hannibal's victory at the Rhône Crossing secured an uncontested route through the Alps into Italy during the Second Punic War.
Key Facts
- Date
- September 218 BC
- War
- Second Punic War
- Carthaginian commander
- Hannibal
- Flanking detachment leader
- Hanno, son of Bomilcar
- Enemy force
- Gallic Volcae tribe
- Strategic result
- Unopposed Carthaginian path to the Alps
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Hannibal was leading his Carthaginian army from Iberia toward the Italian Alps during the Second Punic War. The Gallic Volcae tribe, determined to block the invasion of Italy, massed on the east bank of the Rhône to prevent the Carthaginians from crossing the river. The Roman army was camped near Massalia but did not intervene directly.
Hannibal dispatched a detachment under Hanno, son of Bomilcar, to cross the Rhône upriver and take position behind the Volcae. Once Hanno was in place, Hannibal crossed with the main army. As the Gauls moved to confront Hannibal's crossing, Hanno struck their rear, catching them in a two-front assault that routed the Volcae and secured the crossing.
The defeat of the Volcae gave Hannibal an uncontested route to the Alps and marked his first major battlefield victory outside the Iberian Peninsula. With no further opposition at the river, the Carthaginian army was free to press forward into the Alps and ultimately descend into Italy, escalating the Second Punic War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Hannibal, Hanno, son of Bomilcar.
Side B
1 belligerent