Capable of striking fear into any opponent, war elephants were first seen on the battlefields of antiquity when Alexander the Great faced Persian elephants at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331BC. Their prowess as shock troops was soon legendary and elephants, particularly the larger, more powerful Indian and Sri Lankan varieties, became a precious commodity. The Mediterranean powers paid handsomely to harness their power, and considerable profit could be made through arranging the passage of consignments of elephants via Asian seaports.
