Sassanid Elephants - Use Of, Armour etc

[julianus heraclius]

I thought I would open up a topic in relation to how the sassanids used elephants, how they were armed etc.

I came across an article by Michael B. Charles called "The Rise of the Sassanian Elephant Corps: Elephants and the Later Roman Empire. Very interesting ready, where proposes a number of different things.

1) Elephants used more in surprise attacks than the more traditional battle lines of Hellenistic and Republican times.

2) Elephants used as a psychological weapon.

3) Elephants only had towers during seiges, otherwise had troops on their backs.

4) May have had some for of armour (a mixture of lamellar and scale)

5) Also used for baggage train

6) Symbolically important to the Sassanian kings

Comments on any of the above would be appreciated.

Cheers

[elendir]

Hi JH,
Very interesting. i"ll look for it!
Thanks for the reference!

[Gäiten]

I thought I would open up a topic in relation to how the sassanids used elephants, how they were armed etc.

I came across an article by Michael B. Charles called "The Rise of the Sassanian Elephant Corps: Elephants and the Later Roman Empire. Very interesting ready, where proposes a number of different things.

1) Elephants used more in surprise attacks than the more traditional battle lines of Hellenistic and Republican times.

2) Elephants used as a psychological weapon.

3) Elephants only had towers during seiges, otherwise had troops on their backs.

4) May have had some for of armour (a mixture of lamellar and scale)

5) Also used for baggage train

6) Symbolically important to the Sassanian kings

Comments on any of the above would be appreciated.

Cheers

Can you offer us a link (if that certain article can be downloaded)?

I think he is correct with all of those.

Some examples how the Sassanians used elephants in battles:

Against Julian (363 AD).
As shock assault weapon. They supported the attacks by the super-heavy Savaran and were reportedly armored.
Warriors on their back were armored and equipped primarily with bows, but long lances and javelins were used either.

Against the Armenians in the Battle of Vartanantz (451 AD):
Densely packed elephant formation, moved like a mobile fortress with devasting archery.

Bahram Chobin against the Turks (588 AD):
His armored battle elephants were placed on the flanks and in the following battle herded the enemy into the center while shooting devasting arrow salvos, so that the Savaran knights and Dailamite infantry could smash them.

Against the Muslim Arabs in the Battle of Quadisiyyah (637 AD):
The Sassanians tired to use their usual elephant tactics with initial success, however, the Muslims prevailed because due past experiences (and probaby many ex Sassanian warriors in their ranks) they knew how to handle the elephants.

[julianus heraclius]

I have a pdf of the article. I'll see if I can upload or attach it.

Charles does indicate that the Sassanids did use elephants differently in the later years.

[Leviathan DarklyCute]

Here is EB armoured elephants. are they somewhat similar to the elephants mentioned above?

[julianus heraclius]

Here is EB armoured elephants. are they somewhat similar to the elephants mentioned above?

No, in fact Charles is indicating that Sassanid elephants were used in a more informal way, either as surpise attack or as psychological weapons. He thinks that we have viewed sassanid elephants thru western eyes and have imagined that they used elephants like the hellentisic armies did, threatening cavalry and used in the front line of battle.

Charles advocates that the sassanids were more likely influenced by eastern/indian tradition where the elephant would be used ina supporting role and perhaps as a platform for archers.

There was alos a strong symbolic link between the sassian king and elephants extending back to Darius' time.

Charles suggests that infact sassanid elephants, at least in the period of the 4th C only used towers during seiges and not in battles.

Also, with heavily armed cavalry being the main attack weapon, infantry and elephants were seen only as support except in the case of seiges.

Here's a link to the article. It will need to be paid for before downloading it.

http://poj.peeters-leuven.be/content...80&url=article

[Drtad]

Against the Armenians in the Battle of Vartanantz (451 AD):
Densely packed elephant formation, moved like a mobile fortress with devasting archery.

Indeed. In fact it was the elephants that crashed into and broke the Armenian left flank and caused the rout.

[kambiz]

Thanks for Info julianus heraclius. How can I get the article???

Thanks

[julianus heraclius]

Posted two articles in developers section.

We better rethink our views on the use of elephants boys.

[elendir]

for those into sassanian army, the latest issue of "Ancient Warfare" has got an article REALLY interesting about sassanian knights with lots of new (at lest to me) illustrations. Really worthy!!