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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/05/2026 in Posts

  1. It's unclear how many elephants Hannibal started out with- 37 is a commonly quoted number- and even less clear how many survived the crossing of the Alps. Some sources say only one-- but Livy uses the plural "elephantes" when talking about subsequent battles....and he clearly states that it was the Roman cavalry horses that panicked "not only at the sight but at the unaccustomed smell of the elephants." He says that the Roman soldiers stood up well to them and quickly learned to "shoot darts at the animals' sides and stab them under the tails where the flesh is soft." (Livy Ab Urbe Condita https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0144%3Abook%3D21%3Achapter%3D55 ) Livy also says that his sources give conflicting numbers about the size of the Punic army and number of animals involved.
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