94 Gleanings from the 



of Pyrrhus, B.C. 280. He defeated the Romans 

 at the Siris in that year by their aid. Indeed, the 

 Roman army was only faved from annihilation in 

 that combat by one of the elephants, whofe trunk 

 had been cut off by a Roman foldier, turning 

 back upon and throwing his own party into con- 

 fufion. Ere long the Romans learnt to ufe them 

 in war, while exhibitions of their fagacity in time 

 of peace frequently amufed the populace at Rome. 

 It is curious that the elephant is never reprefented 

 among the Egyptian hieroglyphics, although it 

 was perhaps an inhabitant of Upper Egypt in 

 early times, where the ifland Elephantine remained 

 as an evidence of the fact. 1 Rawlinfon fuppofes 

 that elephants were firft ufed in the hiftory of 

 military fcience at the battle of Arbela, 2 " to which 

 they added an unwonted element of grotefquenefs 

 and favagery." They do not feem to have been 

 of much fervice in the actual ftruggle. Macaulay 

 has remembered the elephants of Pyrrhus in his 

 " Prophecy of Capys" : 



"The Greek fhall come againft thee, 



The conqueror of the Eaft. 

 Befide him {talks to battle 



The huge earth-fhaking beaft, 

 The beaft on whom the caftle 



With all its guards doth ftand, 

 The beaft who hath between his eyes 



The ferpent for a hand." 



1 See Rawlinfon, "Ancient Monarchies," iii., p. 148. In 

 the fourth century before our era the elephant withdrew to 

 India (" Chabas," p. 576). 



8 Ibid., p. 387. 



