Latest / Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History
The Ptolemaic Elephant War: Pygmies, Punt, and Ptolemy II
In the 3rd century BCE, the Ptolemaic kings of Egypt launched a massive enterprise to capture war elephants from East Africa—a trade that reshaped the Red Sea coast and brought them into conflict with rival Indian elephant suppliers. This episode follows Ptolemy II Philadelphus's elephant-hunting expeditions along the African coast, the establishment of forts like Ptolemais Theron, and the surprising role of pygmy peoples in the trade. We explore the logistical nightmare of transporting and training African forest elephants, the clash with the Seleucid Empire's Indian elephants at…
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