Animal Breeder

Prized as commodities, animals were trapped, tamed and bred. Ownership and husbandry of exotic breeds cost money and time, and was a pursuit of the wealthy and the noble. War horses, swift racers, beasts of burden, or exotic war elephants, signs of an owner's conspicuous wealth. Horses were essential to eastern armies after the Greco-Persian Wars, replacing the functions of light chariots. Ancient cavalry could be roughly divided into two types: light skirmishers to harry the enemy at a distance, or heavily-armoured troops to engage other cavalry, outflank and then exploit the weak points of enemy formations. As well as horses, camels, dogs and elephants were conditioned and trained for war, providing shock elements for eastern generals. Camels were prized because of their ability to terrify horses by their unfamiliar smell alone!