From the authors:
[1] Scīpiōnis legiōnēs X, elephantī CXX classēsque esse complūrēs (Bellum Āfricum) │ ten legions under the command of Scipio; a hundred and twenty elephants, and fleets in abundance.
[2] cēperint amplius tria mīlia hominum, paulō minus mīlle equōrum, ūndēsexāgintā mīlitāria signa, septem elephantōs, quīnque in proeliō occīsīs (Livy) │ (The Romans) … made prisoners of more than 3000, captured somewhat less than 1000 horses, 59 military standards, 7 elephants, 5 having been killed in the battle
suprā tredecim mīlia hostium caesa, suprā duo milia capta cum signīs duōbus et quadrāgintā et novem elephantīs (Livy) │ Over 13,000 of the enemy were killed, more than 2000 made prisoners, 42 standards and 9 elephants were also taken.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_war_elephants
[3] Pliny the Elder in Book 8 of the Natural History (Nātūrālis Historia) writes about elephants. Below are some extracts; judging by Pliny’s comments in the first extract, we could do with a few elephants in Parliament:
[i] Ad reliqua trānseāmus animālia et prīmum terrestria. Maximum est elephāns proximumque hūmānīs sēnsibus, quippe intellēctūs illīs sermōnis patriī et imperiōrum obēdientia, officiōrum quae didicēre memoriā, …
Let us pass to the rest of the animals, and first those that live on land. The largest land animal is the elephant, and it is the nearest to man in intelligence: it understands the language of its country and obeys orders, remembers duties that it has been taught …
[ii] Rōmae iūnctī prīmum subiēre currum Pompēī Magnī Āfricānō triumphō │ At Rome they were first used in harness to draw the chariot of Pompey the Great in his African triumph
[iii] Mūciānus III cōnsul auctor est aliquem ex iīs et litterārum ductus Graecārum didicisse …
Mucianus who was three times consul* states that one of them [i.e. one elephant] actually learnt the shapes of the Greek letters … (*That apparently makes him an authority on elephants!)
[iv] This is possibly where the myth began …
… animālium maximē ōdēre mūrem et, sī pābulum in praesēpiō positum attingī ab eō vidēre, fastīdiunt │ They hate the mouse worst of living creatures, and if they see one merely touch the fodder placed in their stall they refuse it with disgust.
https://www.elephantsanctuary.co.za/blog/140-are-elephants-afraid-of-mice
Sadly, some things (infuriatingly) don’t change …
[v] nunc dentium causā pedēs eōrum iaculantur aliōquī mollissimōs │ At the present day (hunters) for the sake of their tusks shoot them with javelins in their feet, which in fact are extremely soft.
[3] Referring to camels, Pliny writes …
omnēs autem iūmentōrum ministeriīs dorsō funguntur atque etiam equitātūs in proeliīs │ all however perform the services of beasts of burden, and also of cavalry in battles
odium adversus equōs gerunt nātūrāle │ they possess an innate hatred for horses
sitim et quadriduō tolerant │ they can endure thirst for as much as four days
vīvunt quīnquāgēnīs annīs, quaedam et centēnīs. utrimque rabiem et ipsae sentiunt │ they live for fifty years, some even for a hundred; although even camels are liable to rabies
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/8*.html
https://www.attalus.org/translate/pliny_hn8a.html
[4] mūlus, -ī [2/m]: mule, but as a term of abuse …
Lesbia mī praesente virō mala plūrima dīcit: │ Lesbia says many bad things of me in front of her husband:
haec illī fatuō maxima laetitia est. │ These are the source of greatest joy for that stupid man.
mūle. nihil sentīs? │ Fool, do you perceive nothing?
(Catullus 83)
