05-24-2007, 09:32 PM
Hi, Ruben !
As with so much of ancient history, the evidence regarding elephant towers is scant, to say the least (sigh !!! )
Certainly one cannot rule out all-wood towers - as the quote from Maccabees shows ( there is also a reference to "cuirasses" for seleucid elephants.)The Graeco-Bactrian silver plate you refer to is presumably the one in the Hermitage museum in Leningrad, utilised in part for the illustration from "Warfare in the Classical World" above ? The relief-work on the tower shows imitation 'bastions,' rather than plankwork, and is otherwise smooth, with some decoration ("maltese crosses" and "spearheads"), most likely painted.
Similarly, the "brickwork" on the ivory statuette I interpreted as painted ( there seems to be a consistent effort to imitate 'real' fortifications in the few artistic samples we have), but Duncan Head interpreted as stitching in "Macedonian and Punic wars" - which has an excellent discussion of the evidence and tower types.
Further evidence for elephant armour appears on fragmentary pieces of statuettes ( see e.g. Sekunda, "Seleucid Army" - montvert, illustration 52,53 and "Ptolemaic Army" , illustration 123 ) - The tower on the latter, incidently, is often interpreted as open wooden slatwork, like a picket fence.
One factor RATters don't seem to have considered in this discussion is a practical one - the towers all give an impression of lightness, but elephants can bear quite heavy loads ( see modern,huge, heavy howdahs for example ). Perhaps the "lightness" was more for the benefit of the humans who had to 'saddle up' the elephant - picture a kneeling elephant and half a dozen men manoeuvring the tower into place.
We simply don't know much about the structure of the towers, but I think Duncan is right to show both hide and wooden towers in use.
One last point, chains as harnesses are quite common on elephants - to this day, Thai elephants have them to drag huge logs, and show no chafing - their hides are evidently very thick and tough !!
As with so much of ancient history, the evidence regarding elephant towers is scant, to say the least (sigh !!! )
Certainly one cannot rule out all-wood towers - as the quote from Maccabees shows ( there is also a reference to "cuirasses" for seleucid elephants.)The Graeco-Bactrian silver plate you refer to is presumably the one in the Hermitage museum in Leningrad, utilised in part for the illustration from "Warfare in the Classical World" above ? The relief-work on the tower shows imitation 'bastions,' rather than plankwork, and is otherwise smooth, with some decoration ("maltese crosses" and "spearheads"), most likely painted.
Similarly, the "brickwork" on the ivory statuette I interpreted as painted ( there seems to be a consistent effort to imitate 'real' fortifications in the few artistic samples we have), but Duncan Head interpreted as stitching in "Macedonian and Punic wars" - which has an excellent discussion of the evidence and tower types.
Further evidence for elephant armour appears on fragmentary pieces of statuettes ( see e.g. Sekunda, "Seleucid Army" - montvert, illustration 52,53 and "Ptolemaic Army" , illustration 123 ) - The tower on the latter, incidently, is often interpreted as open wooden slatwork, like a picket fence.
One factor RATters don't seem to have considered in this discussion is a practical one - the towers all give an impression of lightness, but elephants can bear quite heavy loads ( see modern,huge, heavy howdahs for example ). Perhaps the "lightness" was more for the benefit of the humans who had to 'saddle up' the elephant - picture a kneeling elephant and half a dozen men manoeuvring the tower into place.
We simply don't know much about the structure of the towers, but I think Duncan is right to show both hide and wooden towers in use.
One last point, chains as harnesses are quite common on elephants - to this day, Thai elephants have them to drag huge logs, and show no chafing - their hides are evidently very thick and tough !!
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
