New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-03
ANCIENT IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN
ANIMALS INTO EUROPE.
Translated for Tue Tn.BusE from Ar,!ard.

Translated for Tue TRiBrsE from Ars.ard.
Il liz well known that via animals we're Imported
from Asia and Africa into Europe In ii fritey larger
numbers during the last centuries Of the Roman do
uipou than are taken thi,her at the present day
N,w one or at most q few specimens Of q tribe are
srfict mt for the purposes Of Geological Garden or
Mu.eum while in ancient times the baltioss sud oom.
bate in he snpbitheaters and creuses required hun
dr.cs Of beasts The greatest nnabers were imported
Just after the period Of the Punio VAR, wneu Rome
vas first brought into contact with tropical Anea and
into possession of the I0rlh cost, which then
aboupded in animals. Hitherto only elephants
bad been brought to Rome, nct trem Af1oa
however, but from distant Iodia. Tee cspaehty Of
this animal for military purposes fret becsne kno
in Europe during the Asisic conquess of Ai.a.nt-r;
and Pynhu. King OF Eprus the most talented OF .he
generals who were educa ed in the secrets Of Mscsdo
sian tsetcs msde nOst lsht use OF this kIoSl-
eose. The Greek traveller, Psussuias, who saw
p,rbuss mor unen 400 years after the dea,h of sa..
monarch says expressly that, among other war mate
dals witch be was there depicted az usDg elephants
ee,e also carved in relief upon the tablet. No less
than twenty elephants accompanied the amy With
cbch P,nbus landed at Tsreotum, in tae yesJ $50,
with the intention Of cOuquering Italy. Tee Roman
.oloiers were undsuayed the sight of the fghtful
T..
Lucanisn oxen in derioion. At Beoevent lB. e.
y55). four fell into their hands snd we're carried 10
gome in triumph They we're the first ever seen IN
taf city.
In the first Punc war the Csrhsgsnian General
Hasdrubal landed 40 l42 Afticao elephants in
Sicily, b. C 255. They we're transported on rsfts
foru ed Of beams supported by AoSiog cs-ks. The
Roman Con,ul MeteIus captured 100 Of them, which,
after being carried # in triumph, we're driven around
the circus by hired men carrying spears With blunt
points. They sferward put to oesth, as confoae
of wild beasts were s,ill unknown, and it was found
TOO expersive to feed them, and imPoto TO present
The m 10 other nations.
Hvss 10, until century later, b. c. 70, some time
sfer oonba,s of beasts had been introduced into
ROME that The idea Of fighting elephants against each
other suggested Itself In the great games which
Pcupey instituted in bis second eonsulsse seventeen
OF twenty were overthrow by African hunters With
jaw eIs but as Ci,ero who was present. says 10 one
Of il letters the melancholy spectacle excited more
ind e alton and sympathy than applause FMS
simple circumstance has received "onderni
cOoiibg in later accounts. The sfaer fppy
writes, about century later, ts.s the eiePhSnts
4eeed 10 in pore by their irdesoroable gestures tne
c, mpassiou of the people, ard uttered saca 'oucniie
,ha, the sympatLiziF spectators rose Id oody'
and NTH fearful eyes call d down curses npon pompey
which they shortly afterwsrd carried uto e1'c"ion
Ore hui dred and fifty years after Piay' pi'
relates the sane aneodote, with eth more "onde,'u
additions, making the eods themselves mterp0ss Do
,we,i the animals and their prosecutors ms s'o'y
s ere out Of many which snow 10 wnat an extent tas
ala est buuan ssgscry of the elephant Interested 'ue
Romans in his behalf He was trained 10 m'ais
a.nces, and even perform upsn the usat rope aod
~ o tsa.t Of burden be ~zs IN common use IL h'l''
afer the End Of the Repoblc
Cuplfoius. who contracted the G my OF y ta''sn
| in the war with Se1ius PoTpeiu' 70 Z OBJ Ss re-
wsIc 60 for his services with The privilege OF 1g On
81 stephan. u Rome The wagons wblcn ca.9'eH 'no
jol. aid tie statue Of the Empeor 10 ih' professions
AZ the circus games we're drawn BY elephants as wen
A. N. Iupensl car IN iuapbs over Asistic armies. In
the GAYS Of ne.ce with Psrsis elephants were seat 70
Rome from The banks Of the Tisiis Iheodosius the
G;.st received tuch present Within Tue oououa''es
he R,n,at EmUige tic elephant ceeae IVES foys'
uopmov Vet notwih, landing this restriction the'e
would SEEM N have been none 'sh 10 Ahica al us
| q ose Of the fourth century. go
The Homer: ballads prove the e1ls.encs Oh ih' IL
rurpe in the earliest sIsiq1ry. There are numerous
ae,, uu,s # iors scktg herds AID oeisg arVeo OF
| y ID torches aro pursued 70 thsh ''IS ~ 'Hi 7p4
hn,,,r. H.ro,o,us slso rlsn.lobs their exis'ence ID
Ncrts.r. Greece III the middle Of me tth eenrry'
s.t,e Ctrist He .at,s thai tie limits in Eir'Pe
uul in which lious were then fond were The Ner'o'
OF n, east, ard The Acselous on re vert When
icy di.eppesr-d from that region Is u'cersa.
u. hon. which were used in the riost ancient
cn ho.. o, record. mac "a sgains, par,hsrs, were
or dub,sdly Ahicap. They were aferwa'i i'm
ported IN eTsa: pumbers fsom Atlss. After Snfa's
,,c,,y ever Jusur 10, ts 20, up hoO-aa'' :"
ns s,ru- in VII TIE t-ssta sere 60 -
-, lin. Lt uase Trey vs.- 40 II ngaoa-, sod
re,e an by African hunters J - iu'.e-s" spec