Romans were awed by the eerie, spine-tingling sounds made by the long bronze tube with a wide bell shaped like the gaping jaws of a fierce dragon, boar or wolf. The chanting became a roar, then rose to a reverberating crescendo as the men held up their shields in front of their mouths to amplify the thunderous sound.Ī musician plays a replica of a karnyx from almost 2,000 years ago.Īnother technological invention was the karnyx, the Celtic war trumpet. The Germans devised a simple technique for intensifying the barritus, which began as a low murmur. The Roman historian Tacitus described the hair-raising effects of the barritus, the war cry of Germanic tribes. In antiquity, the sound of Greek warriors bellowing “Alala!” while banging swords on bronze shields was likened to hooting owls or a screeching flock of monstrous birds. Maori war chants, the Japanese battle cry “Banzai!” (Long Live the Emperor) in World War II, the Ottomans’ “Vur Ha!” (Strike), the Spanish “Desperta Ferro!” (Awaken the Iron), and the “Rebel Yell” of Confederate soldiers are examples. War cries and wailing weaponsīloodcurdling war cries are a universal way of striking terror in foes. Even though the mountainous terrain at the Battle of Pydna got the better of the Romans’ 20 elephants, Rome was victorious. But Perseus’ preparations were for naught. Pipers hidden inside the huge mock-ups played harsh sounds, acclimating the Macedonian horses to the sight and sound of elephants. by having artisans build wooden models of elephants on wheels. Perseus of Macedon prepared for a Roman attack with war elephants in 168 B.C. Some commanders tried to obtain an elephant or two to condition their horses in advance of battle. Later, in 202 B.C., blasts of Roman war trumpets panicked Carthaginian general Hannibal’s war elephants in the Battle of Zama, ending the Second Punic War. Like Alexander, the Romans deployed pigs to deflect Pyrrhus’ pachyderms, which contributed to his heavy losses. The riders in the howdah seats upon their backs created an ear-splitting commotion with drums and clanging spears, causing the Romans and their horses to panic.īut Romans noticed that Pyrrhus’ elephants were unnerved by high-pitched squeals of swine. In 280 B.C., the Romans first encountered war elephants, brought to Italy by Greek King Pyrrhus. The shrill sound of the pigs combined with blaring trumpets sent the elephants fleeing. When Alexander’s scouts reported that elephants were approaching, Porus advised Alexander’s horsemen to grab up pigs and trumpets and ride out to meet them. Indian campaign that elephants have sensitive hearing and poor eyesight, which makes them averse to unexpected loud, discordant sounds. 'Le Livre et le vraye hystoire du bon roy Alixandre,' The British Library, CC BYĪlexander had learned from King Porus during his 326 B.C. According to the story recounted by the ancient Greek writer Athenaeus, Naris escaped, returned to Bisaltia, and prepared to make war on Kardia.Īlexander driving off elephants with pigs and musical instruments in a detail from a French illuminated manuscript from 1420. Rearing up and pawing the air, the horses kept time to the lively music.Ĭaptured as a boy from Bisaltia in northeastern Greece, a prisoner named Naris heard about the marvelous dancing horses in the Kardian barbershop where he worked. For entertainment, the mounted soldiers taught their horses to dance to pipes played at drinking parties. In the seventh century B.C., the Kardians of Thrace, who lived in what is now northwest Turkey, were renowned for their cavalry. But a clever reversal of this training could spell victory. In antiquity, cavalry horses were trained to endure the piercing pipe music that led armies to battle. I found an astonishing variety of ancient acoustic weapons while researching my book “ Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Unconventional Warfare in the Ancient World.” Deploying sound in war has evolved over millennia, from natural animal sounds and music to today’s advanced sonic devices. As if the tumultuous din of battle is not horrendous enough, over the ages humans have discovered plenty of ways to exploit sound in warfare.
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