AWA394 - War Pigs
Ancient Warfare Podcast
The History Network
4.3 • 645 Ratings
🗓️ 30 January 2026
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ancient sources claim that pigs were sometimes used as weapons against war elephants. Murray examines the origins of this idea, whether it ever occurred, and the famous story associated with Antigonus II Gonatas at the siege of Megara. Did armies really set pigs on fire to panic war elephants? What evidence do we have for this practice? Was it a routine tactic, or does the story survive primarily because of a single account by Antigonus II Gonatas of the siege of Megara?
Murray examines the sources behind these claims, what ancient writers say about animals used against elephants, and the reliability of these accounts.
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| 0:00.0 | This podcast is supported by The Real Real. |
| 0:02.2 | Meet Christine. |
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| 1:05.0 | Hi, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Ancient Warfare Answers with me, Murray, your weekly 10-minute fix |
| 1:12.2 | of ancient warfare-related ranting and musing by me, where I attempt to answer a question |
| 1:19.0 | from a reader, viewer or listener. You can send me a question, you can comment on a previous |
| 1:24.4 | video or podcast, you can send me a postcard, you can send me an email Murray at Carvansaripublishers.com or AWA at Carvansaripublishers.com, even aWA at ancient warfare.com, I believe. It will get to me. You can even send an email to someone else and it will eventually make its way to me. Now, today's question, I'm not sure I think it might be from Ralph. |
| 1:47.0 | I'm not sure. |
| 1:48.0 | I didn't write it down, but it's a peculiar one and an interesting one nonetheless and has |
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