what strategy did the Romans use to deal with the elephants?

Question

According to Livy, what strategy did the Romans use in the battle of Zama to deal with the elephants?

Answer 1

Scipio Africanus used the Roman checkerboard formation where the gaps were filled to create lanes between the legions.

As the elephants passed relatively harmlessly through the ranks, the Romans stabbed at the elephants, sending them running back against & creating havoc amongst the Carthiginian lines.

Answer 2

Scipio arranged the legions in a checquer board fashion. When the elephants charged the legions moved so as to form empty lanes through which the elephants could move. At the same time all the trumpets were sounded and the animals were pelted with missles from the sides in order to panic them and make them difficult to control. Most elephants chose the easy way out and charged through the open lanes and off into the sunset- where they were hunted down at leisure by light cavalry
After the elephants passed the legions reformed the line

Answer 3

If I remember correctly, Scipio Africanus lined up his legions with a gap bewteen each, in three columns. (One right, one center, one left.) How this worked was that when the elephants charged they would pass right by with the legions taking no or minimal casualites. Elephants can only charge in a linear fashion, and can't really start turning once they charge. By letting them slip through the gaps, they then took away Hannibal's edge of his elephants.

Answer 4

My understanding is that they lured them into a trap. As the elephants came near, the line of infantry would divide in 2 leading to the elephant walking into a gap between them and then being attacked from both sides.

Answer 5

They would slaughter horses and place them in the paths of the elephants. When the smell of the blood reached the elephants they would go blood lust crazy. The elephants would rear up and throw their riders and handlers from their backs whom the Romans would then kill. Without direction and handling the elephants would be driven into deep water or off cliffs or simply surrounded and slaughtered.

Poor Hannibil never thought that his march arcoss the Alps with mighty elephants could be thwarted by horse's blood.

Answer 6

mice
i was always told
that elephants are afraid of mice