UFOs in ancient warfare

[Arthes]

Greetings
I just found this whilst browsing...
"Gods and Spacemen in Greece and Rome" by W. Raymond Drake (Sphere 1976) pages 115-116 quotes an Italian Alberto Fenoglio from "Clypeus" Anno 111, #2 (in turn quoting Giovanni Gustavo Droysen's "Storia di Alessandro il Grande") which Drake translates as:-

"One day there appeared over the Macedonian camp these "flying shields", as they had been called, which flew in a triangular formation led by an exceedingly large one, the others were smaller by almost a half. The unknown chronicler narrates that they circled slowly over Tyre while thousands of warriors on both sides stood and watched them in astonishment. Suddenly from the largest "shield" came a lightening flash that struck the walls, these crumbled, other flashes followed and walls and towers dissolved, as if they had been built of mud, leaving the way open for the besiegers who poured like an avalanche through the breeches. The "flying shields" hovered over the city until it was completely stormed then they very swiftly disappeared aloft, soon melting into the blue sky".

However, by the time of the Indian campaign the spaceships seem to have turned against Alexander. Drake quotes Frank Edwards (in "Stranger than Science" by Pan Books) who quotes an undisclosed source and claims:-

". tells of two strange craft that dived repeatedly at his (Alexanders) army until the war elephants, the men and the horses all panicked and refused to cross the river where the incident occurred. What did the things look like? His historian describes them as great shining silvery shields, spitting fire around the rims. things that came from the skies and returned to the skies"

from [url:11012lo6]http://www.btinternet.com/~alan.catherine/wargames/macedon.htm[/url]

This is also mentioned elsewhere and that Alexander was not the first to see them.
Now i am a believer in UFOs and know there are many descriptions of ancient craft from India called Vimanas and others mentioned in the writings of the ancients.
What do you think?
regards
Arthes

[Robert Vermaat]

This sounds like Belisarius vs. the Malwa Empire! hock:
I guess our descendants have found a way to go back in time for some nice Historical Tourism Trips! Lloks like someone'll make a buck out of that..

"Watch Alexander the Great Trounce the Indians!" Round trip, just €3.5 million.

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

hmm, reminds me of other stories of Alexander: fighting against mythological monsters, using a diving-clock to explore the sea and taking a flight with several eagles.

[hoplite14gr]

Well there is scientific talk of similar gallaxies and solar system to ours.
Possibility of extra terrestrial life...maybe.
Speeds and vechicles allowing communication between these worlds...well I find hard to accept yet.
Kind regards
Stefanos

[Arthes]

72BC Extract from the Military Records of General Luculus
written by Plutarchus
But on being come in sight of his enemies, he was astonished at their numbers,
and thought to forbear fighting, and wear out time.
But Marius, whom Serto-rius had sent out of Spain to Mithridates with forces under him,
stepping out and challenging him, he prepared for battle. In the very instant before joining battle,
without any perceptible alteration preceding, on a sudden the sky opened,
and a large luminous body fell down in the midst between the armies, in shape like a hogshead,
but in colour like melted silver, insomuch that both armies in alarm withdrew. This wonderful prodigy happened in Phrygia, near Otryae.
from [url:23yh127e]http://www.hulford.co.uk/history.html[/url]

more dates and events to follow as I find out extra information:-

[FAVENTIANVS]

Interesting.

There's a movie called THE POWER OF A GOD, or A GOD'S POWER (I just know the title in Spanish) that relates a similar story, it's the human civilisation in the future that find another human planet living in some ancient times, then, they send somebody that is to be considered a MESIAH by these ancient people but is no more than a human cosmonaut... well, interesting to see.

[Thiudareiks Flavius]

The 'unknown chronicler' and 'quoting an unknown source' bits make me suspect these stories actually have a very modern origin. I'd guess sometime after Von Daniken got famous with his Chariots of the Gods nonsense.

[Carlton Bach]

There are stories and even depictions of what moderns would identify as UFOs in very respectable sources, including the Royal Frankish Annals (for AD 775). Of course some logical thought will quickly exclude extraterrestrials as the source for what are obviously observations of primitive flying carpet designs. :p

[caiusbeerquitius]

It might be interesting to read the original texts, and not some translations by 'someone'. There might come out a completely different meaning.

[Kate Gilliver]

You want weird? Try this:
[url:2fbr1hpi]http://oddlots.digitalspace.net/guests/lucian_true_history.html[/url]

[hoplite14gr]

There are survivng letters of Lucianos stating that he is writing fiction.
His work though testifies that ancients loved science fiction too.
Kind regards
Stefanos

[Arthes]

60 AD Scotland: Scotland's King Domnall Mac Murchada witnessed a luminous, flying object while attending a fair in Teltown, Meath County. The object was often seen moving over Scotland in the night sky.

80 AD Scotland: Conrad Wolfhart, Lycothenes, a medieval writer reports, “When the Roman emporer, Agricola was in Scotland, wondrous flames were seen in the skies over Caledon Wood, all one winter night. Everywhere the air burned, and on many nights, when the weather was serene, a ship was seen in the air moving fast.â€Â