# Viable Combat Animals in the ancient world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672 "2013-04-02T22:20:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/21 "2013-04-03T14:52:39Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Here in the SE US, we’ve dug up yellowjacket nests that were the size of cars. I think a defensive perimeter with mutiple colonies would discourage enemy sappers. [Battle of the Bees](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bees#Battle) (played a role in the battle, but not on purpose.) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/22 "2013-04-03T17:49:47Z")
> [@Vaevictis](#): > > Lucretius (5.1308ff) has a big passage on animals in warfare. It seems to have no relation to reality, however. > > After describing horses and elephants in battle, he writes:… Just great. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/23 "2013-04-03T18:04:41Z")
Wiki has a brief but interesting entry on [animals as military weapons.](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_animal) I thought fling pig tossing mentioned upthread was a joke. Explosive rats are no different, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/24 "2013-04-03T18:24:02Z")
A wall of pissed-off mother bears. Catapult their cubs into the enemy lines, then set them loose. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/25 "2013-04-03T18:52:53Z")
Hippo farts in the enemy’s general direction. Where is that damn video cite…? I’ll be back. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/26 "2013-04-03T18:59:59Z")
Tauntauns. Legions of them. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/27 "2013-04-03T19:13:31Z")
After reading this thread, you know, war sounds like it could be a lot of fun if we only got some other species involved. Oh, well. Oh, the Cat Cannon, of course, very viscous: [http://www.gamedition.com/196/Cat\_Cannon](http://www.gamedition.com/196/Cat_Cannon) ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672/28 "2013-04-04T15:22:18Z")
There’s an ancient claim that Romans lit pigs on fire and drove them at Pyrrhus’ war elephants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-combat-animals-in-the-ancient-world/654672.md?page=1)