- Syrian Elephant
The Syrian elephant ("Elephas maximus asurus") is said to have been the westernmost
subspecies of theAsian Elephant ("Elephas maximus") in ancient timesFact|date=April 2008. Syrian elephants were among the largestelephant s in historic times, measuring 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) or more at the shoulder.Indian elephants misnamed "Syrian"
So-called "Syrian" elephants are frequently mentioned concerning
Hellenistic history; this is a misnomer, stemming from the fact that the Seleucid kings, who held numerous war elephants, were kings in Syria.These elephants were however in fact
Indian elephants , which had been acquired by the Seleucid kings during their eastern expeditions. It is attested by ancient sources such asStrabo [ [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239&query=head%3D%23120 Strabo 15.2.1(9)] ] andPolybius [ [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234&query=head%3D%23717 Polybius 11.39] ] that Seleucid kingsSeleucus I andAntiochus III had large quantities of Indian elephants.Hannibal had a war elephant known as "Surus"; it has been suggested to mean "The Syrian." In that case, the elephant may have been of Seleucid stock.It was said to be his best (and biggest) elephant - the usual Carthaginian war elephants, despite popular depiction, were the smallish
North African Elephant s ("Loxodonta africana pharaonensis"), an African Bush Elephant population or subspecies now extinct.Notes
External links
* [http://nabataea.net/elephants.html Elephants and the Nabataeans]
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