final animals essay

8/18/2019 FINAL Animals Essay

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Student # 149035246AR7354March 10, 2015

Bestiary of Batt e! Ani"a s and arfare in the Ro"an or d

I. Introduction

Man$ind has a %ays e&ce ed at "ani'u atin( natura resources for )io ent use * "eta

+eco"e %ea'ons, the andsca'e +eco"es a +att e ' an, and ani"a s +eco"e instru"ents of %ar -he

Ro"ans %ere not the first or the ast to e"' oy ani"a s in the arena of hu"an )io ence, +ut o%in( to

the )astness of the Ro"an s'here of inf uence, the di)ersity of conditions ed to the interaction %ithand incor'oration of nu"erous %ar ani"a s .nfortunate y, direct archaeo o(ica e)idence is often

ac$in(, as the re"ains of ani"a s $i ed in %arfare, i$e hu"an re"ains, are rare disco)eries

/iterary and artistic sources are often the on y "eans of inter'retin( the use of certain s'ecies in the

Ro"an "i itary -hese sources are at east indicati)e of the Ro"an understandin( of ani"a s in

%arfare, and can re)ea "uch a+out the thou(ht 'rocesses in)o )ed in 'rocurin(, trainin( and

de' oyin( certain s'ecies -he 'ur'ose of this 'a'er is to e&a"ine the iterary, artistic and %here

a)ai a+ e archaeo o(ica e)idence to construct an o)er)ie% of Ro"e s understandin( and use o

three ani"a s in %ar! do(s, ca"e s, and e e'hants t shou d +e noted that the horse is not featured i

this 'a'er, o%in( to the u+i uity of ca)a ry in the ancient %or d and the di)erse for"s it too$

throu(hout the "'ire this 'a'er does not a o% for an in de'th discussion of the %arhorse

8e)erthe ess, the three s'ecies se ected for the fo o%in( study 'ro)ide an o)er)ie% of ancient

attitudes to%ards the use of i)in( creatures to further the art of %ar

II. Dogs: hunters and fighters

-he do( is %e re'resented in ancient 'oetry and 'rose, 'ri"ari y in the ro e of hunter or

%atch do( Ancient sources detai desira+ e traits and 'articu ar +reeds, often %ith instructions


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t is i"'ortant to note that the 'resence of ar(er hounds need not i"' y a function other than

huntin(, as they are re'resented huntin( ar(er (a"e such as ions, %o )es or +oars see Gi( 3

?o%e)er, the ca'a+i ities of a ar(e huntin( do( cou d easi y +e con)erted to use in %arfare, in the

sa"e %ay the Ro"ans raised do(s for the 'ur'ose of (uardin( the ho"e ; iny, Nat. < 40 >''ianC.

1 36< 5


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a''ointed for the tas$ of se ectin( the +est ani"a s for trans'ort G ei( E =har ton 1996 ?o"an

1999 Do(s are certain y re'resented in the

archaeo o(y of Ro"ano British sett e"ents, "ost

nota+ y in inchester, %here +uria s of adu t do(s

"any %ith hea ed in uries to the i"+s and s$u and

'its containin( neonata 'u''ies su((est a contro ed

'o'u ation or se ecti)e +reedin( Ma t+y et a 2010, ''

246 47 , corres'ondin( to ancient 'ractices rattius,

Cyn.279 300

Figs. 5a-d Gour ron A(e British si )er coins de'ictin( do(s(a) =oin re)erse of the -rino)antes,issued +y =uno+e in, fro"=a"u odunu" =oin nde&, = 2010CC"#$%$&'. (b) =oin re)erse re ated to =uno+e inty'e of the -rino)antes CC"#()%**+(c) =oin re)erse o+)erse de'ictsRo"an sty e 'ortrait of the Atre+ates,issued +y 'aticcusCC"#$%$(, (d) =oin o+)erse of the =antii, issued +y Du+no)e aunosCC"#*(%%&,.


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-here are a so re'resentations of ani"a s that do not confor" to the standard huntin( do( fi(ure!

there are s"a a' do(s, 'ossi+ y 'ets, and ar(er, sturdier do(s, rese"+ in( the "odern "astiff %ith

s"a er ears and + unter snouts -hese ar(er

hounds are often de'icted %ith thic$, so"eti"es studded co ars, su((estin( a need to contro the

ani"a see Gi(s < 9

-hese "ay +e (uard do(s or ani"a s used +y herds"en, and are not necessari y indicati)e of fi(htin(

do(s As a ready "entioned, hea)ier +reeds %ere $no%n to +e used as hunters for ar(er (a"e

eno'hon,Cyr 10 ; iny, Nat. < 40 ?o%e)er, the i"a(es indicate the 'resence of a ar(er +reed in

Britain, 'ossi+ y the sa"e ani"a s "entioned +y Stra+o, or a +reed si"i ar to the Mo ossian, +rou(ht

in %ith the Ro"ans -hey "ay not ha)e +een used for %ar, +ut they %ere certain y ca'a+ e of

co"+at, and "ay ha)e ori(ina y +een +red for such a 'ur'ose

III. "a#els: $ac%-ani#als and #ilitar& #ounts

Fig. ' =ast co''er a oy 'in head fro">&fordshire in the sha'e of a standin( do(

43 300 AD 8ote the incised co ar and thestoc$ier +ui d of the ani"a Gro" Rea)i , ;

2009 HESH#%(+D*'.

Fig. Ro"an co''er a oy hand e fro" Tentdecorated %ith the fi(urine of a do(, 'ossi+ y a%a& s'atu a datin( 100 250 AD 8ote therounded ears and + unted snout Gro" Su"na ,T 200< -/N#!)(0'&.


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>ne of the ear ier instances of ca"e s in co"+at %as the a iance a(ainst Assyria in


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A 'a'yrus in -he+es dated to 156 AD na"es one =ronius Bar+asatis as a ca"e rider, attached to the

cohors " Au usta Praetoria -usitanorum e1uitata !23 696 An Ara+ian unit, theala " 3lpiadromedariorum4 %as stationed in Syria in 157 AD ?o der, 2003 ' 140 -hecohors 55

Palmyrenorumat Dura uro'os attested fro" 20< to 256 7 AD! Dura 0inal Report 5 1, '' 30< 64,

nos 100 101 inc uded a (rou' of ca"e riders, %ith four of the" na"ed in the Dura 'a'yrus P.

Dura


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can +e dated to a 'eriod %hendromedarii%ere e"' oyed in the Ro"an ar"y the a"'hitheater %as

+ui t in the second century , it is not i"' ausi+ e that the 'uncture "ar$ is the resu t of an arro%

head, due to the site s "i itary association :u$o)iU Bo(dano)iU E B aViU 2014, ' 291 A

associated +ones %ere deter"ined to +e on( to adu t ani"a s, su((estin( these indi)idua s %ere

+utchered, +ein( too o d to continue ser)in( as 'ac$ or ridin( ani"a s i+id , ' 292

A further 'oint of interest is the distri+ution of s'ecies in the Ser+ian find (rou's -he

Ro"ans $ne% t%o different su+ ty'es of ca"e ! t%o hu"'ed Bactrians and one hu"'ed Ara+ians

; iny, Nat < 26 see Gi(s 13 14 hi e they %ere used for si"i ar 'ur'oses, :u$o)iU Bo(dano)i

and B aViU 2014 stress the i"'ortance of ta&ono"y and "or'ho"etric ana ysis in distin(uishin(

the Bactrians fro" the dro"edaries in the archaeo o(ica record >%in( to different "ethods of

ada'tation to te"'erature conditions, 'ostcrania +ones 'resent noticea+ e )ariation +et%een ca"e s

:u$o)iU Bo(dano)iU E B aViU 2014, ' 2


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-he di"ensions of the at as fro" :i"iniaciu" fit %ith those of Bactrian ca"e s, %hi e the

'ro'ortions corres'ond to the dro"edary -he "or'ho o(ica y "i&ed nature of the re"ains su((est

a hy+rid!Camelus dromedarius 6 Camelus bactrianus :u$o)iU Bo(dano)iU E B aViU 2014, ' 2


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-he iterary sources 'ro)ide so"e idea of ho% and %hy the ca"e %as used in ancient

%arfare ; iny s descri'tion e"'hasi es the ani"a s s'eed and endurance, as %e as the dan(erous

se&ua fren y 'ecu iar to the s'ecies -his necessitates a Y'ecu iar "ode of castratin( the", and the

fe"a es, e)en, %hen re uired for the 'ur'oses of %arZit renders the" "ore coura(eous, +y the

destruction of a se&ua fee in(s[ ; iny, Nat. < 26 Batt e

accounts do not stress ferocity or coura(e, +ut neither do they

underrate the dan(ers of facin(dromedarii At the +att e of

8isi+is 217 AD , the ar"y of Arta+anus : inc uded ar"ored

ca"e riders e ui''ed %ith on( s'ears, %hich a o%ed for

do%n%ard thrusts a(ainst infantry and ca)a ry a i$e, as %e as

"ini"i ed the dan(ers of c ose co"+at ?erodian 4 14 3

15 2 Ran(e, then, %as one of the ad)anta(es of fi(htin( fro"

ca"e +ac$ e ( Antiochus Ara+ archers %ith four cu+it on(

s%ords! /i)y 37 40 13 n addition to this, the si(ht or scent

of ca"e s dro)e the o''osin( ca)a ry horses into a 'anic

eno'hon, Cyr 7 1 27 , often resu tin( in the co"' ete

e&'osure of the infantry

-here %ere "easures that cou d +e ta$en a(ainst ca"e s, ho%e)er =a tro's are the +est

$no%n e&a"' e of ancient anti ca)a ry techno o(y see Gi( 15 , effecti)e a(ainst horses and ca"e

a i$e :e(etius 3 24 Fary"o%yc 200


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ani"a s uti ity on y +eca"e tru y re e)ant in a 'articu ar en)iron"ent, facin( other ar"ies si"i ar y

e ui''ed

I*. +le$hants: chargers and tra#$lers

Fig. 1 (above) =oin of A e&ander thereat, co""e"oratin( his )ictory o)er

;orus Minted in Ba+y on 322 B=Gro" Scu ard 1974 , ' , fi( a


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-he e e'hant as a +east of %ar is first

attested in ndia and ;ersia +y =tesias, a fifth

century B= ree$ %ho %rote of his ti"e in

;ersia e e'hants as Yde"o ishers of %a s[!

=tesias, "nd. 3 ndian $in(s (o to %ar %ith

103,000 e e'hants! Ae ian 17 29 -he

?e enistic %or d sa% their use in en(a(e"ents

under A e&ander the reat see Gi( 16 , the

;to e"ies and Se eucids Aous, Ra'hia,

Ma(nesia see Gi( 17 , ;yrrhus ?erac ea, Ascu u" see Gi( 1< and, "ost fa"ous y, =artha(

i'a, Wa"a see Gi( 19 -he +att es "entioned a+o)e featured e e'hants in a %ay that oft

deter"ined the conf ict s outco"e Scu ard 1974 =o ed(e 1977 Bu(h 2006, '' 277 7<

not unti the second century B= that e e'hants %ere introduced to Ro"e, after %hich they %ere used

in the Macedonian ars the +att e of ;ydna, 16< B=! ; utarch, Aem. /i)y 44 and the =i)i ars

Suetonius,Caes. A''ian, !C 1


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' ace durin( ;yrrhus atte"'ted in)asion -he $in( of 'irus +rou(ht %ith hi" t%enty e e'hants,

so"e of %hich %ere oaned to hi" fro" ;to e"y -hese ani"a s %ere "ost nota+ y in)o )ed in

the +att e of ?erac ea in 2


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/i)y s reference to turrets or to%ers, %here the "ahout dri)er sat, corres'onds to $no%n

'ractices in +oth the ancient and "odern era, thou(h there is so"e uestion concernin( the o)era

effecti)eness of the 'ractice Scu ard 1974 =har es 200< -here are nu"erous re'resentations o

turreted e e'hants in Ro"an art see Gi(s 20 21 and se)era references to riders in to%ers in th

ancient sources Sci'io s e e'hants Y%ith to%ers cast es on their +ac$s[! =aesar, !ell. A7r. 30 2 41 2


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As an ani"a of %ar, e e'hants, thou(h "assi)e and 'o%erfu , 'ro)ed to +e rather unre ia+ e

hi e ca'a+ e of inf ictin( hea)y da"a(e to the ene"y, they %ere ia+ e to cause e ua or (reater

har" to their o%n side Ancient sources 'ro)ide re'eated accounts of %ar e e'hants +rea$in( and

runnin( a"o$ throu(h their o%n ran$s, thro%in( entire ar"ies into chaos and chan(in( outco"es of

+att es cf ; utarch, Pyrrh 25 4 5 A''ian descri+es the e e'hants at Ra'hia 217 B= (ro%in(

Ye&cited and un"ana(ea+ e,[ thro%in( the entirety of the Macedonian 'ha an& into disorder

A''ian, Syr. 35 /i)y %rites that the e e'hants in ?asdru+a s ar"y at i'a 206 B= , +ein(

fri(htened +y the Ro"an ca)a ry, shifted their 'osition fro" the %in(s to the center of the for"ation,

%ea$enin( the =artha(inian ine and forcin( it to retreat /i)y 2< 15 7 9 ?anni+a s e e'hant

Wa"a too$ such fri(ht at the sound of Ro"an tru"'eters and %ar cries that they stri''ed the entirety

of the eft %in( s ca)a ry su''ort in their 'anic, and on y a fe% e e'hants %ere e)entua y forced int

the Ro"an ines i+id 30 33 12 13 ; iny o+ser)es that the e e'hant Y%i ne)er do any "is

e&ce't %hen 'ro)o$ed[ ; iny, Nat < 7 , 'erha's e&' ainin( %hy so "any ani"a s turned on their

o%n ran$s %hen %ounded +y the ene"y * they %ere not natura y a((ressi)e creatures

Fig. 22 -erracotta statuette fro"Myrina Asia Minor De'icts ane e'hant attac$in( a so dier, 'ossi+ ya a atian, to co""e"orate theC e'hant :ictory of Antiochus atAous in 275 B= Gro" Scu ard

1974 , ' : fi( +


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n addition to the re ati)e uncertainty of an e e'hant s +eha)ior in +att e, e&'erience soon

tau(ht so diers ho% to react accordin( y a(ainst the" :e(etius 3 23 -he terror e e'hants ins'ired

in their o''onents soon ost its ed(e, and the Ro"ans +e(an to de)ise "ethods of co"+atin( the

ani"a s Soon after ;yrrhus +rou(ht his e e'hants to fi(ht the Ro"ans, they de)ised se)era "ethods

of effecti)e y co"+atin( the" hen the Ro"ans o+ser)ed e e'hants ta$in( fri(ht at certain sounds,

such as the (runtin( of 'i(s, they sei ed u'on this as a "eans of thro%in( the ene"y e e'hants into

'anic Ae ian, NA 1 3< cf ; iny, Nat < 9 At the +att e of Ascu u" the Ro"ans and their a ies

ca"e e ui''ed %ith three hundred %a(ons constructed es'ecia y for counterin( the nineteen

e e'hants in ;yrrhus ran$s, "ounted %ith s'ecia 'o es that %ou d re ease 'ro ecti es Yas soon a

they ca"e near the e e'hants[ Dionysius of ?a icarnassus 20 1 6 7 Se)enty years ater at Wa

Sci'io Africanus for"ed his "en in %ide y s'aced "ani' es Yso that there shou d +e an inter)a

%here the ene"y s e e'hants "i(ht +e dri)en throu(h %ithout +rea$in( u' the ran$s[ /i)y 30 33 1

3 cf ;o y+ius 15 12 13 -he Ro"ans "ana(ed to dri)e the e e'hants +ac$ fro" their ines and into

the =artha(inian ar"y, forcin( the ri(ht %in(, inc udin( the ca)a ry, to f ee, thro%in( the rest of the

ar"y into 'anic /i)y 30 33 14 16 /i)y descri+es the Ro"an so diers at Ma(nesia in 190 B=

a)oidin( the char(in( ani"a s of Antiochus and attac$in( the" fro" the sides %ith s'ears, or

ha"strin(in( the" %ith s%ords, Yaccusto"ed a ready +y the %ars in Africa[ /i)y 37 42 5

-hese inno)ations "ini"i ed the da"a(e caused +y e e'hants a(ainst infantry, and the

'sycho o(ica effect on so diers %as 'ro+a+ y reduced +y the success of these tactics -he on

re"ainin( 'ro+ e" the Ro"ans faced %as the effect e e'hants had on the %arhorse But this too %as

uic$ y dea t %ith as (enera s i$e Fu ius =aesar dre% fro" their $no% ed(e and e&'erience

're'are accordin( y =aesar s fear of Mete us Sci'io and Fu+a s e e'hants 'rior to the +att e o

-ha'sus 'ro"'ted hi" to send for e e'hants fro" ta y =assius Dio e&' ains =aesar s reasonin(!

Y?e did not count on the e e'hantsg, to +e sure, for any considera+ e "i itary achie)e"ent, +ut

desired that the horses, +y +eco"in( accusto"ed to the si(ht and sound of the", shou d earn to ha)e


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no further fear of those +e on(in( to the ene"y[ =assius Dio 43 4 1 cf eno'hon, E1. 6 13 15

-his %or$ed considera+ y +etter than the ear ier "ethod of ;erseus fo o%in( ;ydna, as he did not

ha)e access to actua e e'hants and instead +ui t du""y ani"a s, ho'in( to inure his horses to the

si(ht Tist er 2007, ' 147

-he Ro"ans "ay ha)e indeed earned ho% to counter and e"' oy the use of e e'hants, +ut it

is sti %orth notin( that Sci'io Africanus, %hen enterin( 'eace ne(otiations %ith =artha(e, e)e ed

ter"s a(ainst the", inc udin( a +an on o%nershi' and "aintenance of %ar e e'hants By the ti"e

=aesar faced Africanus descendant and his 8u"idian e e'hants at -ha'sus, Ro"ans and their a ies

%ere the on y (rou's in the Mediterranean to 'ossess the ani"a s for %arfare, and none of Ro"e s

"a or ri)a 'o%ers fie ded e e'hants a(ainst the" -his "ay e&' ain %hy the 'ractice +e(an to

dec ine in the Ro"an s'here +y the end of the second century B= i+id , ' 134 -he un%ie dy an

ha ardous nature of the e e'hant and the 'rohi+itions on Ro"e s 'otentia ri)a s o%nin( the ani"a s

rendered the creature "ore trou+ e than it %as %orth Gi(htin( e e'hants %ere sti seen in the Ro"a

"'ire, +ut they %ere "ost y restricted to the arena, %here indiscri"inate destruction %as "uchsou(ht after ; iny, Nat < 7 7

*. "onclusion-he three s'ecies discussed in this 'a'er a a''ear to constitute te"'orary or at east

inter"ittent as'ects of %arfare in anti uity Do(s %ere $no%n to (o to %ar in certain societies, and

the Ro"ans cou d ha)e ado'ted this 'ractice fro" ti"e to ti"e >r(ani ed units of ca"e riders on y

ca"e a+out %hen Ro"e s focus turned to the ast in the ater "'ire e'hants %ere initia y used

a(ainst Re'u+ ican ar"ies, 'ro"'tin( the Ro"ans to ado't the use of the ani"a s, %hich died out in

the ate Re'u+ ic .n i$e horses, these ani"a s %ere not consistent y or u+i uitous y used throu(ho

the Ro"an %or d -his is understanda+ e %hen one considers the conditions under %hich certain

s'ecies "i(ht +e used effecti)e y in %ar, often used %here ca)a ry either fe short or %as

i"'ractica -he ac$ of archaeo o(ica e)idence "a$es a detai ed study of these ani"a s as "i itary


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entities difficu t, +ut the a+undance of re'resentati)e and iterary e)idence can act as a (uide to

ancient sensi+i ities * ho% the ani"a s %ere seen as instru"ents of )io ence, and ho% "an %as a+ e

to direct a Cdu"+ +east s natura instincts into the rea " of hu"an conf ict

ibliogra$h&

"ollections

A -9Ann:e :pi raphi1ue.1952

B . ; yptische 3r


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2eneralver@altun 2riechische 3rAN BN"0E e+ 'a(e a)ai a+ e at! htt's! finds or( u$data+ase artefacts record id 205919

/ri#ar& ources0 ranslations

A''ian 1


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1949 -ivy4 !ooonmouthshire S ! 8ationa Museu" of a es

8i$o iU, S and Bo(dano)iU 2012 Y straVi)an a )i"inaci u"s$o( a"fiteatra u to$u 2011,[ Arheolo i a u Srbi i Pro e


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39 5! '' 1531 1539

;otts, D - 2004 Y=a"e ?y+ridi ation and the Ro e ofCamelus bactrianusin the Ancient 8earast,[ Gournal o7 the Economic and Social History o7 the /rient47 2! '' 143 65

Scu ard, ? ? 1974The Elephant in the 2ree< and Roman orld.-ha"es and ?udsonSouthern, ; and T R Di&on 1996The -ate Roman Army 8e% ?a)en! @a e .;

.er'"ann, ? ; 1999 Y=a"e and horse s$e etons fro" 'rotohistoric (ra)es at M eiha in the"irate of Shar ah . A ,[ Arabian Archaeolo y and Epi raphy 10 1! '' 102 11<

:u$o)iU Bo(dano)iU, S and S B aViU 2014 Y=a"e s fro" Ro"an "'eria sites in Ser+ia,[ Anthropo?oolo ica 49 2! '' 2 Gin$, F G i ia", and B ?ennin( 1959The E6cavations at Dura#Europos 0inal Report The Parchments and Papyri Part " 8e% ?a)en! @a e .;

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