# Hannibal crosses southern Gaul (-218)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/-218-hannibal-crosses-southern-gaul
Location: Southern Gaul
Categories: battle

Hannibal’s army passed through Gallic territory on its march toward the Alps during the Second Punic War. Within the broader Celtic Gaul period, Iron Age Gaul was a mosaic of peoples, towns and confederations linked by trade, warfare and religious networks. Greek and Roman contacts increasingly drew the region into Mediterranean politics. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Gaulish tribal polities (No single ruler). Hannibal crosses southern Gaul mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Hannibal crosses southern Gaul mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Gaulish tribal polities](https://history-france.com/rulers/gaulish-tribal-polities)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Hannibal crosses southern Gaul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Hannibal+crosses+southern+Gaul&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Hannibal crosses southern Gaul](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Hannibal+crosses+southern+Gaul)
- [Wikipedia — History of France overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France)