The Rise of the Sassanian Elephant Corps: Elephants and the
Later Roman Empire Chanles, Michael (2007) The Rise of the
Sassanian Elephant Corps: Elephants and the Later Roman Empire.
Iranica Antiqua, 42, pp. 301-346. The Sassanian Persians used
elephants on various occasions against the armies of the Later
Roman Empire. This article considers when elephants were first
incorporated into the Sassanian army, why they were thought
necessary, their deployment and equipment during the period in
question, and the degree to which the Sassanian way of elephant
warfare differed from that of neighbouring peoples. In addition,
the paper proposes a close association between the use of
elephants and Persian notions of kingship. Much emphasis is
placed on the martial activities of Shapur II and the testimony
of the Greek soldier-historian Ammianus Marcellinus. Citation
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