The war elephant was one of the most formidable weapons used in ancient armies, with just a small number able to decisively change the course of battles. How did the Romans imaginatively combat this threat?
Answer: By cruelly setting pigs on fire. The squeals of pigs were said to startle elephants, so Roman armies doused pigs with pitch and set them alight during combat. The strategy was so successful it was copied later by Greek armies.
Source: Antigonus II Gonatas – A Political Biography by Janice J. Gabbert
More at: History
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