The famous Capena plate belongs to a class of black-varnished vases with painted decoration called pocola. The plate is painted black and decorated on the inside with lines and motifs of rosettes and ivy leaves, painted in white, yellow and red.
The central medallion shows an elephant, followed by the baby who fastens the trunk to its tail. The largest elephant has a combat harness: on the back, on a saddle cloth, a crenellated turret is mounted, supported by straps that fasten to the body, occupied by two archers ready to hit the opponents with range weapons; on the back of the neck a conductor is seated, prodding the animal.
The dish refers, as the sources confirm, to historical events that really happened. In 280 BC, the Tarentini had called for help against the Romans Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, one of the most famous generals of the time, who landed in Lucania bringing with him mercenaries and about twenty Indian elephants, animals hitherto unknown in the West. that the Romans called "Lucan oxen".
Elephants played a fundamental role in the battle of Eraclea, won by Pyrrhus (280 BC); on that occasion, in fact, thousands of Roman soldiers lost their lives, due to the confusion created in their ranks by unknown pachyderms. Pyrrhus' victory was, however, offset by the heavy losses inflicted on his army by some runaway elephants.
In subsequent battles, Romans devised some anti-elephant techniques: incendiary arrows, ditches, self-propelled platforms, until, in 275 BC, under the command of Manio Curio Dentato they prevailed over the Epirot army at Maleventum, which was ever since renamed with the name of Beneventum . Eight elephants were captured and four brought to Rome in triumph.
National Etruscan Museum at the Villa Giulia, Rome
by Darshan_brahmbhatt