ROMA CUMHURİYETİ’NİN SON HESAPLAŞMASINDA SAVAŞ FİLLERİ: THAPSUS SAVAŞI MÖ 46

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 41 Sayı: 71, 90 - 117, 31.03.2022

Nuri Can Uçar

https://doi.org/10.35239/tariharastirmalari.917205

Öz

Uygarlık tarihiyle yaşıt olan savaş tarihi, farklı türlere mensup pek çok hayvanın, insanların boyunduruğu altında çıktıkları savaş alanlarında ortaya koyduğu sıra dışı hizmetlere sahne olmuştur. Nitekim tüm bu hayvanlar içerisinde, batı halklarının ilk kez MÖ 331 yılında, Gaugamela düzlüklerinde karşılaştığı bir tür, antik çağın dönüm noktası niteliğindeki savaşlarda ortaya koyduğu etkinlikle benzersiz bir hikâyeyi geride bırakmıştır. MÖ 46 yılında, o güne dek kayda değer bir önem kazanmamış olan Thapsus kenti önlerinde gerçekleşen savaş, Roma Cumhuriyetinin ve çatısı altındaki halkların yüzyıllar boyunca ilerleyeceği yolları tayin etmiştir. Bu savaşın taraflarınca farklı beklentilerle, farklı şekillerde kullanılan savaş filleri ise bu kritik dönüm noktasında kazananı ve kaybedeni belirlemiştir. Bu çalışma, fillerin Thapsus Savaşı’na uzanan süreçte iki düşman ordunun savaş planı içerisinde ifade ettiği önemi ve savaş sırasındaki etkinliğini, antik kaynaklar ve numismatik buluntular ışığında ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Fil, savaş, Thapsus, Caesar, Scipio

WAR ELEPHANTS ON THE LAST CONFLİCT OF THE ROMAN REPUBLİC: BATTLE OF THAPSUS 46 B.C.

Öz

Warfare history which is contemporary to the Civilization History has witnessed outstanding services by animals of different species on the battlefields in which they set foot under the yoke of humans. However one species among all these animals which was seen by the western people for the first time on the plains of Gaugamela in 331 B.C. left an unique story with its activitiy on the battles which served as milestones. In 46 B.C. the war which took place on outskirts of the City of Thapsus which had not gained a worthy significance until that day determined the paths of the Roman Republic and its subjects for the next centuries. And the war elephants which was used by both sides of this war by different ways with different expectations determined the victor and defeated on this critical turning point. This study aims to reveal the importance of elephants in the war plan of the two enemy armies in the period leading up to the Thapsus War and their effectiveness during the war in the light of ancient sources and numismatic finds.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Elephant, war, Thapsus, Caesar, Scipio.

Kaynakça

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