17
Elephants, as JubaMüller, Frag. Hist. Graec. iii, p. 474; Jacoby, Frag. der griech. Hist. iii, pp. 146 f., frag. 51 a, 53; Cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. viii. 24; Aelian, De Natura Animal. viii. 15; vi. 61; and see the criticism in 977 d-e infra. On the mutual assistance of elephants see Philostratus, Vita Apoll. ii. 16. declares, exhibit a social capacity joined with intelligence. Hunters dig pits for them, covering them with slender twigs and light rubbish; when, accordingly, any elephant of a number travelling together falls in, the others bring wood and stones and throw them in to fili up the excavation so that their comrade can easily get out. He also relates that, without any instruction, elephants pray to the gods, purifying themselves in the sea Cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. viii. 1 f.; Dio Cassius, xxxix. 38. 5. and, when the sunThe moon in Aelian, De Natura Animal. iv. 10, but the sun in vii. 44; of tigers in Philostratus, Vita Apoll. ii. 28. rises, worshipping it by raising their trunks, as if they were hands of supplication. For this reason they are the animal most loved of the gods, as Ptolemy PhilopatorAelian, De Natura Animal. vii. 44: Ptolemy IV (c. 244-205 b.c.), who reigned 221-205. The decisive defeat of Antiochus III was at Raphia in 217. For the gods loving elephants see Aelian, De Natura Animal. vii. 2; al. has testified; for when he had vanquished Antiochus and wished to honour the gods in a really striking way, among many other offerings to commemorate his victory in battle, he sacrificed four elephants. Thereafter, since he had dreams by night in which the deity angrily threatened him because of that strange sacrifice, he employed many rites of appeasement and set up as a votive offering four bronze elephants to match those he had slaughtered.
