3. The Carthaginian General Hannibal took elephants across the Alps and occupied Italy for 15 years
We touched on the Punic Wars earlier in the list, but the exploits of Hannibal (247-c.181 BC) deserve an entry all of their own. Hannibal was the son of Hamilcar Barca, the great Carthaginian general, and was so impressive as an officer in the army that he was named commander in chief of Carthage’s entire military at the age of just 26. Unfortunately for Rome, Hannibal had sworn an oath of eternal hostility to the Republic on a trip to Spain as a youngster, and took the pledge very seriously. Almost immediately, he violated a peace treaty with Rome.
Having conquered parts of Spain which Carthage had sworn to avoid in the treaty, Hannibal brought about the Second Punic War, marching across Gaul with 90, 000 men and, most famously, 37 elephants. Amazingly, most of the animals made it through a series of ambushes and the chilly conditions to enter Italy. There, through a series of inspired military manoeuvres, he won several unexpected victories, and ruled much of the country for the next 15 years. Hannibal was forced to return to unsuccessfully defend Carthage from Roman attack, and was later betrayed and defiantly poisoned himself rather than be captured.