The Pros and Cons of Ancient War Elephants

Elephants are generally peaceful and majestic creatures but throughout history their size and power were used with devastating results on the battlefield. With the adoption of gunpowder elephants faded from the front lines (though they were used in vital logistical roles as late as WWII). In the ancient period with spears and arrows, however, war elephants were a fearsome force to be reckoned with, though not without some serious disadvantages. First, a look at some of the pros of utilizing elephants in battle:

Elephants were absolutely huge compared to anything else in the known world. Considering that the average height of people in the ancient period was several inches shorter than today and horses were not especially large by this time, elephants were quite simply towering imposing figures akin to…

Source: The Pros and Cons of Ancient War Elephants