Explanation: In 218 BCE, the Carthaginian general Hannibal brought his army, along with a force of war elephants, through the Alps and into Italy, shocking the Romans - the Alps were not exactly filled with friendly roads, and it was thought impossible to bring a force of elephants through. Indeed, Hannibal lost something to the tune of half of his force - not just the elephants - in the crossing. But in managing to do so, he positioned himself to strike at the heartlands of Rome, and proceeded to terrorize Italy for the next decade-and-a-half.