So BadAncient's stuff is generally excellent, but I actually have more than a quibble with this one - the question being if elephants were given wine before battle. The main point, that the source testimony on this in Greek is very thin is fair...https://twitter.com/AncientWorldMag/status/1389938010440015876 …
-
-
...to try to induce this state (as an aside, 'musth' itself derives from an Urdu word meaning 'drunk' so the association with intoxication is in the etymology). So I suppose here I find the possibility of efforts to induce musth chemically at least plausible...
Näytä tämä ketju -
...and it fits with an apparent stated preference in Indian armies to attack with elephants in musth when possible. What I do not think we know is if any of these concoctions actually worked to induce musth, though given that the state is visible, maybe?
Näytä tämä ketju -
In any event, this is a claim that I think I'd move from 'False' to at least the
shrug-emoji of 'we don't really know.' I get the impression of implausibility, but there does seem to be evidence for similar practices in India.https://www.badancient.com/claims/drunk-war-elephants/ …Näytä tämä ketju -
All of this, I should note, is from T. Trautmann, Elephants and Kings (2015). You can read my broader thoughts on the purpose and social place of war elephants here:https://acoup.blog/2019/07/26/collections-war-elephants-part-i-battle-pachyderms/ …
Näytä tämä ketju
Keskustelun loppu
Uusi keskustelu -
Lataaminen näyttää kestävän hetken.
Twitter saattaa olla ruuhkautunut tai ongelma on muuten hetkellinen. Yritä uudelleen tai käy Twitterin tilasivulla saadaksesi lisätietoja.