"Decius Junius Mus and the elephants" Topic

I just wrote this for a friend who was asking about ancient techniques of fighting techniques against elephants.

comments?

Well, I have an idea where the idea of the elephant being scared of the mouse came from. Back when the Romans were fighting Pyrrhus of Epirus (yes he of the Pyrrhic victory), there was a Roman called Decimus Junius Mus (the Mouse). The Romans were being really hammered by the Epirotes. The War elephants had given Pyrrhus a real advantage as the Romans didn't have much experience fighting elephants. In desperation, The Mus decided to evoke an act of devotio. The Devotio, was where a soldier in battle made a deal with the gods (Orcus I think – yes, the Roman God of the underworld before they were influenced by the Greeks, was called Orcus). The devotio meant that the soldier would die, make himself a living sacrifice to the gods and be willing to be taken to the underworld, so his people could have victory. Now this was the pact that The Mus made, he raged into battle like psychotic roman beserker, full of fire and fury and a driving need for Roman victory – this battle was for the very survival of the Roman state. Could you imagine what this would have been like for a an elephant, to have the Mus running straight at you? A screaming running man with a pointy stick showing absolutely no fear. Now this story of The Mus is true. No duff. My theory however, is that it from this story, thousands of years ago, that we get the legend that elephants are scared of the mouse. It is not a mouse elephants are scared of… but The Mus!

You have any evidence to support this?

nope, its just an idea. That's why I didn't call it a theory.

My Lecturers at uni saw the humour in it though, but it can't be proven.

His name was actually Publius Decius Mus. The battle where the devotio occurred was Sentium in 295 B.C. against the Samnites and Guals. His son, also Publius Decius Mus, was at Asculum in 279 B.C.. According to some accounts there was some concern by Pyrrhus' troops that he would do a devotio as his father had, but this never occurred.

I like it. It sounds plausible to me.

Did you hit upon a lost book from Livy?! I don't suppose it also has an explanation for why elephants are supposed to like peanuts? ;-)

Cheers,
Aaron

Mus was a favorite character in David Drake's stories in the "Heroes in Hell" braided mega-novel series. Definitely a soldier's soldier – one who Got Things Done.

Elephants are always upset about stepping on things with their feet.. the keepers at the San Diego Safari Park (or actually way back when it was the Wild Animal park) told me that rodents would often cause the elephants much distress… so the issues with being afraid of mice is not a myth at all.. it's more of an agitation and more important an issue where the elephants do not specifically wish to hurt something small darting back and forth between their legs..

the lecturer I heard speak on the devotio, the first devotio had did happen, the other ones mentioned were just propaganda to increase family name