War Elephants

• War Elephants are considered to have started being used by Armies in India, and were used in battle by the 6th century BCE during the Vedic Period.
• Elephants fought by using iron spikes on their tusks, lifting enemy soldiers into the air with their trunks, and then trampling on them.

Greece v Rome

• Pyrrhic War (280 BCE)
  • King Pyrrhus of Epirus took 20 War Elephants to Italy for the Battle of Heraclea against the Romans.
  • A year later, in 279 BCE, at the Battle of Asculum, the Romans used the tactics of flame-throwers, long spikes on horse drawn wagons and javelins to defeat the Elephants. Although the Romans lost, Pyrrhus’ army was severely weakened.

Carthage v Rome

• First Punic War (264-251 BCE)
  • The Carthaginians used the Syrian Elephant and the North African Elephant during the First Punic War (264-241 BCE).
• Second Punic War (218-202 BCE).
  • Elephants were famously used during Hannibal's Crossing of the Alps to invade Italy in 218 BCE, and those that survived were used in the Battle of Trebia (218 BCE).
  • At the Battle of Zama (202 BCE), Hannibal’s Elephants were foiled by the Roman tactic of dispersal and allowing the Elephants to charge through their ranks.

Rome v Greece

• Second Macedonian War (200-196 BCE)
  • After the Second Punic War ended in 202 BCE, Rome took the captured War Elephants to Greece and used them in the Second Macedonian War (200-196 BCE).
• Third Macedonian War (171-168 BCE)
  • The Romans used 22 Elephants at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BCE.
  • The Romans were able to break the Greek Phalanx System using the Elephants.

Rome v Celtiberians

• Celtiberian Wars (181-159 BCE)
  • Elephants were later used by the Romans during the CeltIberian Wars in Iberia.

Rome v Rome

• Great Roman Civil War (49-46 BCE)
  • Battle of Thapsus (46 BCE)
  • Pompey had 12 Legions and 30,000 Numidian Auxiliaries and Allies belonging to Juba I including 60 War Elephants.
  • It was the last Battle where War Elephants (60) were used.

Rome v Britannia

• Roman Conquest of Britannia (43 CE)
  • In 43 CE, Claudius took one symbolic War Elephant to Britain for the Roman Conquest of Britannia.

India

• Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE)
  • It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BCE) who ruled over most of the Indian Subcontinent with its capital at Pataliputra.
  • His Army had 9,000 War Elephants.

Persia

• The Achaemenid Empire (550-329 BCE)
  • The Persians copied the use of War Elephants from India and placed them in their armies.

Alexander the Great (331 BCE)

• Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE)
  • Alexander was opposed by 15 Elephants deployed by the Persians in the centre.
  • The Greek Tactic for fighting Elephants was to break ranks and allow the Elephants to charge through, then throw javelins at their unprotected legs.
  • After he won the battle, Alexander adopted them for use in his own army.

Greece

• Siege of Megalopolis (318 BCE)
  • Polyperchon, one of Alexander’s Generals, brought 60 Elephants to the siege of Megalopolis in the Peloponnese.
  • The Elephants were later used in other battles in Greece by the King of Macedonia, Cassander.

Egypt

• Battle of Gaza (Raphia) (217 BCE)
  • Elephants were used by Ptolemy IV of Egypt, against the Syrian Army of Antiochus III of Seleucia.

Syria

• Syrian Invasion of Judaea (161 BCE)
  • Antiochus V Eupator of Syria invaded Judaea with 80 Elephants.

Numidia

• The Numidians (up to 46 BCE)
  • They used the North African Elephant before it became extinct.
  • The Army of Juba I of Numidia is thought to have still had Elephants in 46 BCE.