History Trivia Thread Reducks

[Viking]

What was Rome's secret "anti-elephant weapon" that saw its only known use at the battle of Beneventum against Pyrrhus of Epirus?

The Spiked Carts/Chariots that were supposed to intimidate/spear the Elephants, it didn't work. The Draught animals were petrified of the elephants and the whole scheme failed.

[Agelastus]

What was Rome's secret "anti-elephant weapon" that saw its only known use at the battle of Beneventum against Pyrrhus of Epirus?

The Spiked Carts/Chariots that were supposed to intimidate/spear the Elephants, it didn't work. The Draught animals were petrified of the elephants and the whole scheme failed.

Wrong weapon, wrong battle (that's Asculum, before he sashayed off to Sicily.) The one used at Beneventum was much simpler (assuming Dionysius is to be believed, which at least one prominent historian did.)

[Viking]

Large bronze horns they used to try and startle the elephants with blasts of sound.

[Admiral Yi]

Because it used paper cartridges (iirc) the breech block seal was damaged after a few shots. So this is right. Over to you.

Paper cartridge in a breech loader?  That sounds odd.

[Agelastus]

Large bronze horns they used to try and startle the elephants with blasts of sound.

Not the one that springs to my mind; I'll have to re-research Beneventum.

I'm looking for something considerably more grotesque...

[Admiral Yi]

Elephant penis grappling hooks.

[Sheilbh]

Is this the pigs?

[Agelastus]

Is this the pigs?

Yes...but you could add a bit more detail for the masses, please (if Scullard believed it who am I to argue?)

[Viking]

Is this the pigs?

I'm pretty sure the flaming pigs of RTW fame are fictional.

[Sheilbh]

Yes...but you could add a bit more detail for the masses, please (if Scullard believed it who am I to argue?)

I've no idea.  I remember reading the Romans used pigs against elephants.  I also played RTW, so I thought maybe they were fire pigs.  I mentioned the Roman fire pigs to a classicist friend of mine and was promptly slapped down.  I never read about the pigs again :sadblush:

[Agelastus]

Is this the pigs?

I'm pretty sure the flaming pigs of RTW fame are fictional.

Not according to Dionysius, who's one of our few sources for the war. H H Scullard believed it to be not merely possible but fairly likely as well.

Given the ineffectiveness of the Romans previous try (the anti-elephant ox-carts) I can also see them being willing to try anything at this point, so I must admit I consider that it very likely happened as well.

Basically, you take a pig, tar him up, light him up, and let him go (hopefully in the direction of elephants, who are reputedly scared of fire and small squealing things.)

Fairly gross, but at least you could eat the roast pig after the battle.

Sheilbh's up.

[jimmy olsen]

I think Viking won.

Given the lengthy deductive stuff posted, he probably Googled it and that was all an attempt to obfuscate that fact.

He's right, though--I Googled it myself.  I really don't think anyone would have guessed it, so I'm cool with that. 

I totally knew this one, if only I'd paid attention to this thread. 

[Viking]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_pig

Colour me unconvinced. But since you cite a source and you claim it was used only once (as opposed to fire and screaming javelineers).

[Sheilbh]

I don't know if this is actually well known or not.

In the US it used to be the convention not to actively campaign to become President as it was unbecoming of the office.  Rather your friends and supporters would campaign for you.  Who was the first major candidate to campaign, stumping round the country?

[jimmy olsen]

I don't know if this is actually well known or not.

In the US it used to be the convention not to actively campaign to become President as it was unbecoming of the office.  Rather your friends and supporters would campaign for you.  Who was the first major candidate to campaign, stumping round the country?

Stephen Douglas did as he tried to save the country from Civil War. The exertion may have directly led to his premature death.