Title: Battle of Raphia
Description: Asia vs Africa Elephant v Elephant
Description: Asia vs Africa Elephant v Elephant
Flowers&Razorwire - January 14, 2006 05:24 AM (GMT)
The Battle of Ralphia took place on June 22, 217 BC, Antiochus III leader of the Selucid dynasty, led a army to southern palestine, opposing him is the egyptian army under the command of Ptolomey IV, each side fielded around 60,000-70,000 infantry, which included the phalanxes of traditional greek warfare, both fielded around 6,000 cavalry... but what would be a first and last in histroy was the "romantic" animal they also fielded... WAR ELEPHANTS! it would be the showdown between the Asian Elephants of Antiochus and the African Forest Elephants of Ptolomey IV. Antiochus deployed 60 Indian elephants on his right wing and 41 on his left. Ptolomey deployed 33 African Elephants on his right and 40 on his left.
here is a account Polybius gives of the battle between Asian and African Elephants
here is a account Polybius gives of the battle between Asian and African Elephants
| QUOTE |
| "Only some few of the Ptolemy's elephants came to close quarters with their opponents and the men in the towers of these beats made a gallant fight of it, lunging with their pikes at close quarters and striking each other, while the elephants themselves fought still more brilliantly, using all their strength in the ecounter and pushing against each other, forehead to forehead..... Now most of Ptolemy's elephants were afraid to join battle, as is the habit of African elephants; for unable to stand the smell and trumpeting of the Indian elephants, and terrified, I suppose, also by their great size and strength, they immediatly run away from them before they get near them. This is what happened on the Present occasion..." |
Anthiochus had easily destroyed Ptolemys left flank and they were in full flight, on the right flank where Ptolomey had places his most elephants, refused to even engage the enemy elephants and were in full flight. Although Anthiochus had won the war of the Elephants, he was slow to return to the battle and Ptolomey's forces had broke the selucids center and right, so even though the Asian Elephants had proved to be the top dog's, well elephants..... there victory did not go hand in hand with a selucid victory.....
So contrary to prior belief that the African War elephants were the biggest and the baddest, this is historically unaccurate. Yes the African Savanah elephant is larger and more aggresive then the Asian Elephants, but this is exactly why they couldnt be tamed and used in large numbers, instead the Ptolomey's were forced to use the more timid African Forest Elephants, (who in a related note have just been considered a sepeate sub species..) These simpily could not stand up to the larger, more heavily armoured and more aggresive Indian Elephants....
EVERYONE GIVE IT UP TO......
THE INDIAN ELEPHANTS WOOT
They truley are #1 YAAAAAAAAY!