Hannibal Barca elephants in Tunisia

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Hannibal Barca
Crossing the Rhone
Type	private
Founded	-218
First elephant arrived	-218
Country	Tunisia
Related persons
Owner	-: Hannibal Barca


Key People
Zoological department
Elephant department
Record history
History of updates	2025-04-05: 2025-04-05:

Latest document update	2025-04-05 15:05:57

Description

Hannibal Barca elephants, Tunisia , was founded in -218 and the first elephant arrived in -218.

Comments / pictures218 BC: Hannibal Barca crossed the Alps with thirty-seven elephants and defeated the Romans at Trebbia. Indeed, had not a wounded elephant thrown the others into confusion, the Roman losses would have been even greater (Zonaras, VIII.13, who also relates that the soldiers fought from towers on the backs of the elephants).

Some sources claim that of the six elephants that survived the arduous mountain trek, five died the following winter. The sixth, a one-tusked elephant named Surus, became Hannibal’s mount and mobile viewing platform in the marshes of the Arno.

Surus (the Syrian) is also mentioned as the bravest elephant in the army by Marcus Porcius Cato, the elder in his book Origines.

References for records about Hannibal Barca

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Hannibal Barca, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=1154. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Zonaras, VIII.13
Origines, by Marcus Porcius Cato

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