The use of pigs as weapons of war has a surprisingly long history, one particularly intermingled with the use of war elephants. Ancient wisdom held that the squeal of a pig was something that elephants particularly feared, while other authors opined (perhaps more realistically) that the scent of the swine was what could drive elephants to madness – in any case, the Romans believed that pigs were a useful weapon against the Carthaginians, noted pachyderm enthusiasts.
A particularly effective, if somewhat unpleasant, tactic was to coat the backs of the pigs in pitch, tar, or some other sticky flammable substance. This would be ignited, and the terrified swine driven in the direction of enemy elephants. The elephants would naturally be somewhat perturbed by the squealing (and flaming!) animals – if they could be made to panic, they would often run amok, trampling their own men, and causing something of a hindrance to their commanders’ plans!
Drive these flaming pigs before you to terrify and confuse the foes of Rome, and add an extra dimension of chaos to any Hail Caesar Epic Battles tabletop. These porcine tools of warfare are a great addition to any Roman collection, particularly if your regular opponents field lots of elephants! We’ve also created a free rules PDF for them, which you can download HERE.
