Elephants were used in warfare mainly as a shock force – not only to scare the enemy but also like tanks, to push them aside. And they could carry small towers on their backs, from which marksmen could launch arrows or spears – although there is no evidence that Hannibal’s elephants carried them. On marches, elephants proved useful pack animals, being able to carry up to ten times more than a house. A disadvantage, though, was the amount of food needed – an elephant eats up to 300lb (140kg) pf vegetation a day. As the army climbed even higher and snow made grazing impossible, the elephants suffered severely from hunger.
Hannibal’s elephants were not very large, standing probably about 8ft (2.4m) at the shoulder. Hannibal captured them from the foothills of the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa, where elephants have become extinct since his day. Hannibal also had a few Indian elephants, which Carthage had obtained from Egypt.
That elephants were held in high esteem by the Carthaginians is evident from some of their silver coins, which feature them on the reverse. The fronts of the coins showed gods and important people, including Hannibal (above left).
Picture Credit : Google
