THE RISE OF THE SASSANIAN ELEPHANT CORPS: ELEPHANTS AND THE LATER ROMAN EMPIRE.
The Sassanian Persians used elephants on various occasions against the armies of the Later Roman Empire. This article considers when elephants were first incorporated into the Sassanian army, why they were thought necessary, their deployment and equipment during the period in question, and the degre...
| Publicado en: | Iranica Antiqua Vol. 42; pp. 301 - 347 |
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| Autor principal: | |
| Formato: | Artículo |
| Publicado: |
Peeters Publishers
2007
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| Sumario: | The Sassanian Persians used elephants on various occasions against the armies of the Later Roman Empire. This article considers when elephants were first incorporated into the Sassanian army, why they were thought necessary, their deployment and equipment during the period in question, and the degree to which the Sassanian way of elephant warfare differed from that of neighbouring peoples. In addition, the paper proposes a close association between the use of elephants and Persian notions of kingship. Much emphasis is placed on the martial activities of Shapur II and the testimony of the Greek soldier-historian Ammianus Marcellinus. |
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