Siege of Tyre - Flying Shields/ufos?

[Celtic505]

I've heard rumors that ancient sources claim that large silver shields were sighted flying in the sky during Alexanders seige of Tyre and that they actually shot fire at the walls which allowed his men to gain entrance into the city. I know this sounds rediculous, but are there any real contemporary sources for this claim? What the hell are they talking about? I've never read about this in any book about Alexander, only in UFO special or books making outlandish claims of sightings throughout history. If I'm wrong and there are records to back this up than I'd rather be sure of what the truth really is and not just my view of it, but are these people misinterpreting what was written or reading from texts that just cite rumors many years later? Where does this story come from?

[Marcus Cassius LegioXIV]

I've heard about it. I think it was on the History channel, one of there UFOs in History. They didn't give a source though, but it seemed interesting! I'm not sure if its a period account or something written about like 1000 years after.

[M. Demetrius]

I, being typically unreasonable, would vote for the latter. :roll:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

It is never mentined in any of the accounts I have read of Alexander's history. :wink: Of course, there are probably more around.... :roll:

[M. Demetrius]

What I want to know is, "Why are there never any Flying Cups seen"? Is it because they lack the weight balance for interstellar travel? :lol: Don't get me wrong, the Universe is a really big place, and there might be people somewhere else, but finding this tiny dust speck in the vast reaches, and actually getting here, only to frighten people camping in the forest, etc., well, that's statistically improbable IMHO.

I doubt interstellar travellers would interfere in a Bronze Age city seige. What would be the point?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Guess they were after the gold too! Or maybe they were after the priestesses in the temples........who knows hock: :?

[Celtic505]

yeah than it should probably be classified into the topic of bullsh*t

[Jona Lendering]

Where does this story come from?

Probably a misunderstanding of Diodorus: he writes that shields with sand were heated; when they where glowing of the heat and the sand was red-hot, the defenders threw them through the air at the attackers.

Even this story can not be true: when sand is red-hot, the shield has already molten.

[Carlton Bach]

Flying shields do occasionally turn up in old sources - off the top of my head I can only recall the Annales Regni Francorum for 775, but they are already a topos by then. This is the first time I heard of them in connection with Alexander, though.

Are we sure it's not the Hierosolymitan Flying Carpet Force piloting unmarked bathmats for plausible deniability?

[Memmia]

I think it's totally plausable. After all, UFOs were sighted in ancient Judea

UFO Judea

[Marcus Cassius LegioXIV]

I think After all, UFOs were sighted in ancient Judea

UFO Judea

It's also totally plausible that Romans had....odd names too!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGb4STRf ... re=related :lol: :lol: :roll:

[M. Demetrius]

Odd names, all right, but what have the Romans ever done for us?? :lol: :lol: :roll:

[Celtic505]

I know right, roman foundation of western civilization....psshhh...what a hoax....u ever notice romans has 6 letters and so does cheney? conspiracy man

[Celtic505]

on a serious note though, since there obviously are no aerial vehicles I'm assuming they are misidentified interpretations of comets, meteors, and other weather or astronomical phenomenon...BUT some of these accounts like the famous "battle over Nuremburg" in 1561 have to be taken into serious account.