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ANIMALS THAT MOULDED HUMAN HISTORY

Added on: 8th Oct 2015

 

 

BUCEPHALUS:

THE MOST DOMINANT HORSE IN HISTORY

ΒΟΥΚΕΦΑΛΑΣ

According to legend, Bucephalus was a wild horse than no man

could get close to. A young Alexander the Great became the first

and only man to tame the wild horse not by force as so many

before had tried and failed, but by turning the horse’s head toward

the sun, understanding that Bucephalus was simply afraid of his

own shadow. After that no one but Alexander could mount the

horse and together they would conquer vast territories and

spread Greek culture and civilization all over the then-known world.

 

 

ROBERT THE BRUCE’S INSPIRATIONAL SPIDER

Bruce's spider

We all know Robert the Bruce today (because of Braveheart) as one of

the most famous Scottish warriors ever and the man who led his

country during the heroic Wars of Scottish Independence against

England. However, before he become one of Scotland’s greatest heroes

he had suffered a few humiliating losses which made him hide in a

cave on Rathlin Island during the winter of 1306. There he observed

a spider trying to build a web across the cave walls only to have

the harsh winter weather tear its work down every day. Nonetheless,

the spider never quit, and one day, the web held fast. Robert was

so inspired by the spider’s persistence that he returned to war with

the English, determined to fight for Scotland until his country was free.

 

 

SERGEANT STUBBY

Sergeant Stubby

Sergeant Stubby is the most decorated war dog of World War I and

the only dog in US history that was promoted to sergeant because

of his time in combat, even though most historians believe that the

dog earned the honorary rank from the Smithsonian Institution and

not the US army. One way or another, Stubby served for eighteen

months and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front

during the course of which he saved his regiment from many

unexpected mustard gas attacks and found and comforted

several wounded soldiers.  According to legend, he once caught

a German spy by the seat of his pants, holding him there until

American soldiers found and captured him.

What more can you ask from a dog?

 

 

THE MONKEY THAT KILLED A NATION’S LEADER DURING WAR

kingalexander

After two victorious Balkan Wars against the Ottoman Empire, Greece

was prevailing and conquering one territory after another against

Turkey at the beginning of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922).

After the Greek army had conquered the biggest part of Thrace and

Asia Minor and was about to invade and re-conquer Constantinople

(Istanbul) after five hundred years of Ottoman occupation, the Greek

leader of the military campaign would lose his life because of an

attack from a monkey while walking in his royal gardens.

A macaque bit Alexander, the Greek king, and caused him a wound that

would later become infected and kill him at age twenty-seven.

Only a couple of years after his death and a series of political mistakes

by the Greek side, the initially victorious campaign fast became a

national disaster for Greece and a monkey became the nation’s

most hated living animal.

 

 

THE SNAKE THAT KILLED CLEOPATRA

Snake Cleopatra

Even though Cleopatra’s death is disputed, it is widely accepted that

she made a poisonous snake bite her as her empire was falling into

Roman hands. If this is what indeed happened, then the snake

shaped history by killing one of the most powerful, dominant

women who ever lived.

 

 

THE DOG THAT CAPTURED THE WORLD'S

MOST WANTED MAN

Cher Ami

On May 2, 2011, a well-trained Malinois named Cairo accompanied the

US Navy SEALs who killed Osama Bin Laden. Even though we don’t

have many details about this secret but successful operation, every

member of the team guarantees that the outcome might not have been

as successful if Cairo wasn’t present to help.

 

 

THE CROCODILES THAT “FOUGHT” IN WWII

ALONGSIDE THE ALLIES

crocodiles

The South Pacific during World War II holds the distinction for being

an especially savage killing ground the likes of which humankind

had never seen before or since. Yet one of the bloodiest, most horrifying

massacres in the history of the war came not at the hands of

humans, but from the jaws of the animal kingdom.

The Battle of Ramree Island, which was fought for six weeks during

January and February 1945, entered The Guinness Book of World Records 

for the “Most Fatalities in a Crocodile Attack.” According to various

estimations, anywhere from five hundred to almost a thousand

Japanese soldiers were slaughtered by thousands of saltwater crocodiles

that were lying in wait in the inland swamps, thus shaping military

history as no other animal has.

 

 

A RANDOM EAGLE AND A TURTLE

KILLED THE FATHER OF TRAGEDY

Aeschylus

Aeschylus is recognized worldwide as the father of tragedy since he was

the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians, along with Sophocles

and Euripides. As the legendary playwright was working on his new play

he became the victim of his own bald head. According to various

historical sources, Aeschylus was killed by a tortoise dropped by an

eagle that had mistaken his head for a rock suitable for shattering the

turtle’s shell. In this ironic way the life of one of the greatest writers who

ever lived was cut short, thus preventing many more classic plays

from being finished.

 


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