Why are the names Hannibal and Charlemagne carved into the rocks in Napoleon Crossing the Alps?

In the painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David, the names of Hannibal and Charlemagne are carved into the rocks alongside Napoleon’s name to associate the French leader with these two other legendary figures who also successfully led their armies across the Alps.1

By including these names, David—a master of political propaganda—sought to elevate Napoleon’s status by linking his military achievement to the historical prestige of a great Carthaginian general and a famous emperor of the Middle Ages.1