CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY, MIDDLE AGES 55 



Pliny' s description of animals 

 The zoological section of his natural history is as encyclopaedically treated 

 as the rest. The various animals are enumerated without any sequence, but 

 on the whole the largest and most remarkable are mentioned first; they 

 are described with reference to their habits, their utility, and the mischief 

 they do, the date of their first being exhibited and employed in Rome, and 

 in general their relation to man. On the other hand, no attempt whatever is 

 made to give a true description of their external and internal structure. The 

 earlier biologists of antiquity, including Aristotle, were, as we know, not 

 very conspicuous for any important criticisms on points of detail, especially 

 where exotic animals are concerned, and Pliny with great goodwill collects 

 all the marvels he can find in earlier writings and narrates them without re- 

 serve. Consequently his account teems with the most fantastic fables. As an 

 example of the assertions he makes may be mentioned his description of the 

 elephant, which, characteristically enough, is named first of all animals. 

 "Amongst land-animals the elephant is the largest and the one whose intelli- 

 gence comes nearest that of man, for he understands the language of his 

 country, obeys commands, has a memory for training, takes delight in love 

 and honour, and also possesses a rare thing even amongst men — honesty, 

 self-control, and a sense of justice; he also worships stars and venerates the sun 

 and moon. In the mountains of Mauretania it is said that herds of elephants 

 move at new moon down to a river by the name of Amilo, ceremoniously 

 cleanse themselves there by spraying one another with water, and after hav- 

 ing thus paid their respects to the heavenly light return to the forests bearing 

 their weary calves with them. It is also said that when they are to be trans- 

 ported overseas, they refuse to go on board until the master of the ship has 

 given them a promise under oath to convey them home again." Further, they 

 are so modest that they never mate except in very secluded spots, while 

 adultery never occurs amongst them. Towards weaker animals they show 

 compassion, so that an elephant when passing through a flock of sheep will 

 with his trunk lift out of the way those he meets, for fear of trampling on 

 them.^ Besides these and similar childish statements accounts are given of 

 the habits of elephants and the way to tame them, which are quite correct, 

 as well as a number of facts of interest from the point of view of cultural 

 history as to their employment amongst different peoples, when they were 

 first exhibited at Rome, etc. Pliny likewise relates many wonderful stories 

 about other lesser-known animals, such as the elk and the aurochs of north- 

 ern Europe. On the other hand, the information he gives regarding the or- 

 dinary domestic animals of his own country is on the whole reliable and the 



^ It was probably this description that directly or indirectly induced a Danish king in 

 the Middle Ages to found an Order of the Elephant, with the purpose of thereby exhorting its 

 members to imitate the admirable qualities of that noble animal. 



