BOOK VIII. I. 3-ni. 6 



as though deputing the earth to support their prayers. 

 Indeed so far as concerns dociUty, they do homage 

 to their king by kneeUng before him and proffering 

 garlands. The Indians employ the smaUer breed, iisdomesH- 

 which they caU the bastard elephant, for ploughing. ^'^ndia!^ 

 II. At Rome they were first used in harness to ^'^^'""tf 

 draw the chariot of Pompey the Great in his African for shows. 

 triumph, as they are recorded to have been used 

 before when Father Liber went in triimiph after 

 his conquest of India. ProciUus states that at 

 Pompey's triumph the team of elephants were 

 unable to pass out through the gate. At the gladia- 

 torial show given by Germanicus Caesar some even 

 performed clumsy movements in figures, Uke dancers. 

 It was a common display for them to hurl weapons 

 through the air without the wind making them 

 swerve, and to perform gladiatorial matches with one 

 another or to play together in a sportive war-dance. 

 Subsequently they even walked on tight-ropes, four 

 at a time actuaUy carrying in a Utter one that pre- 

 tended to be a lady lying-in ; and walked among the 

 couches in dining-rooms fuU of people to take their 

 places among the guests, planting their steps care- 

 fuUy so as not to touch any of the drinking party. 

 III. It is known that one elephant which was rather instancesoj 

 slow-witted in understanding instructions given to it fj^JnlT^^' 

 and had been punished with repeated beatings, was 

 found in the night practising the same. It is sur- 

 prising that they can even cUmb up ropes, but especi- 

 aUy that they can come down them again, at aU 

 events when they are stretched at a slope. Mucianus 

 who was three times consul states that one elephant 

 actuaUy learnt the shapes of the Greek letters, and 

 used to write out in words of that language : ' I myself 



