12-09-2005, 11:48 PM
Quote:"I myself have seen an elephant clanging the cymbals, and others dancing; two cymbals were fastened to the player's forelegs, and one on his trunk, and he rhythmically beat with his trunk the cymbal on either leg in turn; the dancers danced in circle, and raising and bending their forelegs in turn moved also rhythmically, as the player with the cymbals marked the time for them."
And you think he saw that in Rome? Could he see that somewhere in the East? He was asian greek...
Quote:The editor of my german translation Gehrke writes that elephants were quite common in Rome.Pompeius used (or wanted to use) some in his triumph, Caesar shipped some from Italy to Africa to train his troops before the battle of Tapsus, Claudius shipped 2 over to Britain and they are mentioned being used in games and such.
You tell me about I century BC-I century AD, but I speak about Aureian`s reign, it`s the end of III century. According to SHA it was very unusual.
Quote:Pompeius used (or wanted to use) some in his triumph
So Pompeius captured them in Africa, when he waged war with the local kings (Plutarch, Live of Pompeius, 14). The question is where did Aurelian get the elephants?
a.k.a. Yuriy Mitin