• livus
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    26 months ago

    Thank you. That’s one of those quotes that opens a huge vista, almost like seeing a movie. Albeit a sad movie omg.

    I’m glad they were not too cowed to become turbulent. The possibility of finding one’s mother when wounded in battle is heartbreaking but they at least sometimes had each other.

    • PugJesusOP
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      26 months ago

      Only two of the elephants were killed in the battle; the other eight were captured. One hopes that both mother and calf were counted amongst that eight.

      • livus
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        26 months ago

        Definitely. What would be really good would be if they were both captured and retired from the army.

        • PugJesusOP
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          26 months ago

          Though their fate is unknown after being paraded in the Triumph with the rest of the prisoners of the war, Rome isn’t recorded as using war elephants themselves for almost a century afterwards, and venatio, beast fights, were not yet popular. So hopefully they were used for some more mundane purpose, like a rich guy showing off his fancy pets, or as draft animals.

          • livus
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            26 months ago

            Thanks for telling me, those are good odds. Honestly, it’s a pity Hollywood is so wedded to the star system that they won’t make a historical drama about these elephants.

            Do you write books, PugJesus? I feel like you could write damn good books…

            • PugJesusOP
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              26 months ago

              Heh, I’ve always fancied myself a writer, but as a perfectionist, I’ve yet to finish anything I regarded as suitable for consumption for anyone other than myself. Maybe someday.