DSBcB51 The Use of Oriental Animals in Ancient Warfare

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Michal Musil (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Michal Habaj, PhD. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Michal Musil
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 12:00–13:40 G32, except Mon 18. 11. to Sun 24. 11.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge in ancient history.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the subject is to describe the importance of oriental animals, especially elephants and camels, in armed conflicts and military logistics of ancient history.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student will know the advantages and disadvantages of elephants and camels for military and transport purposes in the context of ancient history;
-Based on the acquired knowledge, he will be able to critically evaluate the historical records of battles in which the mentioned animals took part;
-He will understand better the cultures for which the use of these animals is characteristic;
-He will be able to reflect on the importance of military transport in the study of armed conflicts of antiquity.
Syllabus
  • Prerequisites of elephants for military use
  • Drawbacks of elephants for military use
  • Military equipment of riding elephants and its development
  • Weapons used against mounted elephants and their development
  • The use of riding elephants in selected civilizations
  • Elephants in selected historical sources
  • The beginnings of camel domestication and its consequences in transport
  • The importance of camels in the nomadic Arab tribes
  • The importance of camels in Assyria and Babylonia
  • The importance of camels in the Achaemenid Empire
Literature
    recommended literature
  • HABAJ, Michal. Plinius. Historia naturalis. (Pliny. Historia naturalis.). Bratislava: Perfekt, 2021, 910 pp. Pramene, história. ISBN 978-80-8226-013-0. info
  • SCULLARD, H. H. The elephant in the Greek and Roman world. London: Thames and Hudson, 1974, 288 stran. ISBN 0500400253. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, discussions, reading of sources.
Assessment methods
Written test, attendance
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2024/DSBcB51