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Exercise 1 – Visual Source Analysis 

When trying to understand the ancient world, it is especially useful to look at images and physical depictions to figure out what went on in those societies. This exercise will aim to help you figure out how to analyse, and gain valuable information out of, an ancient image. There are three parts to this worksheet:

1 – The content of the image.

2 – The context of the image.

3 – Why was this image made, what was its contribution? 

If you thought elephants, then you are correct! Elephants are not naturally found in Europe – so what exactly are these elephants doing here on a Roman arch in Greece? This depiction is of a war scene, in which Galerius is facing Persia – a civilisation based in modern Iran, and the elephants are used as instruments of war.

CONTEXT 

One of the most significant instances of elephants being used in war is the Carthaginian general Hannibal’s use of them in the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome. Sources talk of elephants terrifying the Romans because of their ‘huge bulk and ugliness and also by their strange smell and trumpeting’. They shattered troop morale and instilled fear in their opponents. To a Roman soldier, it is highly likely that this would be their first interaction with an elephant. Elephants would be entirely alien to most of these soldiers. Due to this, these elephants were an effective weapon against the Romans.

CONTRIBUTION 

This part is perhaps the most difficult part of analysing a piece of ancient history. Let’s provide a bit more context to this specific image.  

Galerius and the Persians 

In 295 A.D., the Persians had crossed the Roman border and invaded Galerius’ territory. Galerius at this time had his main centre of administration at Thessaloniki. The war was hard fought, with Galerius losing a decisive battle early in the war. 3 years later, in 298 A.D., Galerius gained reinforcements and performed a successful counterattack on Persia, sacking their capital of Ctesiphon.  

With this knowledge and the knowledge of elephants in war above, give some reasons about why Galerius would provide a depiction of war elephants in an arch depicting his victory.  

With this, you have learned a bit of what a person at an A-level or even degree level student of the ancient world would be studying. These images or visual sources provide for us a great way of looking at the ancient world, to place them in their contexts and to speculate as for what reason they were valued and built. 

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Exercise 2 – Written Source Analysis 

CONTENT 

Another route into the ancient world is through reading what poets, historians and authors wrote about what they experienced. We will do the same process above with context, content and contribution. Here, we will move from Ancient Rome to Ancient Greece to the end of Alexander the Great’s famous campaign. Here is the source:

First, he [Porus] placed the elephants in the front, each animal being not less than a plectrum apart, so that they might be extended in the front before the whole of the phalanx of infantry, and produce terror everywhere among Alexander’s cavalry. Besides he thought that none of the enemy would have the audacity to push themselves into the spaces between the elephants, the cavalry being deterred by the fright of their horses; and still less would the infantry do so, it being likely they would be kept off in front by the heavy-armed soldiers falling upon them, and trampled down by the elephants wheeling round against them.

 

Arrian of Nicomedia, The Anabasis of Alexander 

CONTEXT 

In this section, we will explore the context behind the extract and behind the author also. First, let us look at what battle the extract is referring to.

This source discusses the Battle of the Hydaspes at the latter part of Alexander’s campaign. Having seized Persia, Alexander looks upon India as the next land to conquer. He is confronted at the River Hydaspes, in the modern-day Punjab region, by Porus, King of the Hydaspes and Acesines (known also as the Jhelum and Chenab Rivers).  

Arrian describes the role elephants were to play in Porus’ strategy against Alexander. In the above image, you see how Alexander outplays Porus by swinging around to his flank and crossing the river at a place Porus did not expect and thus limiting the effectiveness of the elephant strategy. Alexander would ultimately win the battle over Porus here.  

What do you think about the presentation of Porus’ strategy in the source considering the outcome of the battle? Is it viewed as going to be a decisive hit against Alexander that he must overcome or a false sense of security/confidence for Porus?

Arrian himself was a Greek historian in the 1^st to 2^nd century A.D., he was born over 400 years after the campaigns of Alexander. He based his Anabasis meaning ‘journey up-from’ upon an older soldier and writer called Xenophon who wrote his own Anabasis about marching 10000 soldiers through Persia. His historical works, notably his work on Alexander, caused much fame to be brought onto him. At this time, Alexander and his campaigns were viewed as one of the greatest achievements of Greek civilisation – and Arrian responded to this by accounting for his entire military history over 7 books.

CONTRIBUTION