CLap. 5.1 ZLEPHA^rrs. 249 



rior to him in strength, size, and s^riftness r Xo doubt, snch 

 is the law of Xature, such is the influence of her power — the 

 most savage and the very largest of wild beasts have never 

 seen that which they have reason to fear, and yet instantly 

 have an instinctive feeling of dread, when the moment has come 

 for them to fear.-^ 



(5.) Elephants always move in herds. ^ The oldest takes 

 the lead, and the next in age brings up the rear. "VThen they 

 are crossing a river, they first send over the smallest, for fear 

 lest the weight of the larger ones may increase the depth 

 of the channel, by working away the bed of the river, ^e 

 learn from Antipater, that King Antiochus had two elephants, 

 which he employed in his wars, and to which he had given the 

 names of celebrated men ; and that they were aware too of this 

 mark of distinction.-^ Cato, in his Annals, while he has passed 

 over in silence the names of the generals, has given that of an 

 elephant called Surus, which fought with the greatest valour 

 in the Carthaginian army, and had lost one of its tusks. 

 "When Antiochus was sounding the ford of a river, an plephant 

 named Ajax, which on other occasions had always led the van, 

 refused to enter the stream ; upon which proclamation was 

 made, that the first rank should belong to the one which should 

 take the lead in passing over. One called Patroclus hazarded 

 the attempt, and as a reward, the king presented it with some 

 silver pendants,'^ a kind of ornament with which these animals 

 ai'e particulaiiy delighted, and assigned it all the other marks of 



-' It is a general opiaion, and one founded upon observations of daHy 

 occurrence, that animals have an instinctive dread of man. "We have, 

 however, facts stated by traveliers of undoubted veracity, which would 

 lead to an opposite conclusion. One of the most remarkable is the ac- 

 count "which Denham gives of the lameness of the birds in Lake Tchad. 

 — B. 



^ Cuvier observes, that this is correct ; see Ajasson, vol. vi. p. 40S, and 

 Lemaire, vol. iii. p. S3S. — B. 



■^ '• Xovere ea." It is doubtful whether these words do not mean 

 something more than merely " knew their names," as Hardouin explains 

 it, for that would be nothing wonderful in an elephant. On the other 

 hand, to sav that thev were aware of the honour which had been conferred 

 on them, in giving tlie names of famous men, would be to make a state- 

 ment which exceeds belief; for how could the elephants sfuric that they 

 appreciated this honour, even supposing that they did appreciate it ? Pliny's 

 elliptical stvle repeatedlv gives rise to doubts of this nature. 



2" "Phaleris." See Notes to B. vii. c. 29, p. 170. 



