ELEPHANTS, HISTORICAL 157 



beneath the enormous mass of the elephant as it fell to the 

 ground.* 



The administration of stimulants to war elephants in 

 order to render them more ferocious has not always redounded 

 to the advantage of those using this treatment. The 

 example cited in the Third Book of Maccabees is a good 

 illustration of this. In 210 B. C. the Egyptian monarch, 

 Ptolemy Philopater, after suppressing an insurrection of 

 the Jews of Alexandria, designed to have a number of his 

 prisoners trampled to death by elephants in the Hippodrome 

 for the delectation of the Alexandrian populace. To ensure 

 effective results he directed that the elephants should be 

 dosed from the previous day with a mixture of frankincense 

 and wine. The keepers carefully carried out these instruc- 

 tions and the elephants developed a due degree of ferocity, 

 but unfortunately they were no respecters of persons, and 

 instead of venting their fury upon the unhappy Jews, they 

 trampled down the Egyptian guards. 



Another case of devotion, this time on the part of a loyal 

 servitor to save the life of his master, is related by Ta vernier. 

 On one occasion when Shah Jehan and one of his sons were 

 riding on an elephant, the animal suddenly developed an 

 insane fury, so that the mahout completely lost control over 

 its actions. Quickly realizing that should the elephant con- 

 tinue its mad rush through the woodland they were travers- 

 ing his sovereign and the prince would inevitably be dashed 

 to pieces against the trees, the faithful servant determined 

 to sacrifice his life in their defence, only begging that his 

 three children should be cared for after his death. He then 

 jumped down to the ground, whereupon the elephant seized 

 him with its trunk, cast him down and trampled out his life 

 beneath its ponderous feet. This act of violence satisfied 

 the creature's rage, and it immediately became quiet and 



*I Maccabees, VI, 43-46; see also Josephus Ant. of the Jews, XII, IX, 4. 



