When the Romans Meet a Wyrm

[YR7]

I just wanted to shre this historical account of a an encounter with a dragon (?) I run into:

...The most detailed account is preserved by Orosius (ca. A.D. 417), who probably derived it from the now lost Book 18 of Livy's Roman History:

Regulus, chosen by lot for the Carthaginian War, marched with his army to a point not far from the Bagradas River and there pitched his camp. In that place a reptile of astonishing size devoured many of the soldiers as they went down to the river to get water. Regulus set out with his army to attack the reptile. Neither the javelins they hurled nor the darts they rained upon its back had any effect. These glided off its horrible network of scales as if from a slanting testudo of shields and were in some miraculous fashion turned away from its body so that the creature suffered no injury. Finally, when Regulus saw that it was sidelining a great number of his soldiers with its bites, was trampling them down by its charge, and driving them mad by its poisonous breath, he ordered ballistae brought up. A stone taken from a wall was hurled by a ballista; this struck the spine of the serpent and weakened the constitution of its entire body. The formation of the reptile was such that, though it seemed to lack feet, yet it had ribs and scales graded evenly, extending from the top of its throat to the lowest part of its belly and so arranged that the creature rested upon its scales as if on claws and upon its ribs as if on legs. But it did not move like the worm, which has a flexible spine and moves by first stretching its contracted parts in the direction of its tiny body and then drawing together the stretched parts. This reptile made its way by a sinuous movement, extending its sides first right and then left, so that it might keep the line of ribs rigid along the exterior arch of the spine; nature fastened the claws of its scales to its ribs, which extend straight to their highest point; making these moves alternately and quickly, it not only glided over levels, but also mounted inclines, taking as many footsteps, so to speak, as it had ribs. This is why the stone rendered the creature powerless. If struck by a blow in any part of the body from its belly to its head, it is crippled and unable to move, because wherever the blow falls, it weakens the spine, which stimulates the feet of the ribs and the motion of the body. Hence this serpent, which had for a long time withstood so many javelins unharmed, moved about disabled from the blow of a single stone and, quickly overcome by spears, was easily destroyed. Its skin was brought to Rome—it is said to have been one hundred and twenty feet in length—and for some time was an object of wonder to all.

[Ben_McFarland]

sounds like something had "Death Prophecy: Will not die from manufactured weapons."

Now that hide would make a very interesting item of Insight for some aspect of ancient magic...

-Ben.

[firth5]

What's the quote from? Very cool!

[Vortigern]

An interesting read!

[YR7]

@firth5

What's the quote from? Very cool!

Some article from the journal Isis IIRC, but the quote says the true origin - Orosius's history, don't remember more than that, and don't have a ready link to the article in question, I'm afraid.

[YR7]

I took the text from the article "Ancient Scientific Basis of the “Great Serpent” from Historical Evidence", Richard B. Stothers, Isis. Volume 95, Issue 2, Page 220–238, Jun 2004. (link)

The source for the quote is given as:

"Orosius, Against the Pagans 4.8, trans. by Irving W. Raymond, Seven Books of History Against the Pagans: The Apology of Paulus Orosius (New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1936), pp. 170–171. I have made a few changes in Raymond's translation; the phrase “the feet of the ribs” is italicized in light of the discussion below. See also the summary (Periocha) of Livy's Book 18. The eight sources that note the reptile's length as 120 feet are Valerius Maximus, Memorable Deeds and Sayings 1.8, ext. 19; Pliny the Elder, Natural History 8.37; Aulus Gellius, Attic Nights 7.3; Vibius Sequester, Geography, s.v. “Bagrada”; Orosius, Against the Pagans 4.8; Nepotianus, Epitome 1.8, ext. 19; John of Damascus, Dragons 1; and Zonaras, Annals 8.13. The rounded number of 100 cubits (about 150 feet) is offered by Silius Italicus, Punica 6.153 (whose full version of the story is told in 6.140–293, 6.677–679). Those who simply describe the monster as huge are Seneca, Letters 82.24; Florus, Epitome 1.18.20; and Arnobius, Against the Pagans 7.46(43)."

Cheers,
Yair