New to me, from the Dryden translation of Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus (of Pyrrhic victory fame):
It was next resolved to draw a trench in a line directly over against the enemy's camp, and, here and there in it, to sink wagons in the ground, as deep as the naves of the wheels, that, so being firmly fixed, they might obstruct the passage of the elephants.http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_plutarch_pyrrhus.htmApparently the naves are the hubs.
Bingley
Dear Bingley: I never heard "nave" used as "hub" before, but my dictionary gives it a second word with that meaning.
I wonder if it is in any way related to "navel".
A better way of fighting elephants was described in life of Metellus, a couple hundred years after Pyrrhus. He had advancing elephants attacked with spears, causing them to turn and trample the Carthaginian infantry, leading to Roman victory.
Oh, this sinking of the wagons mentioned here is a timely one. Someone else mentioned yesterday a news report about the sinking of the German boats in the Danube to stop the advancing of some fleet. And now the boats are visible because of the drought's having affected the water level of the D.
I wonder how large these wagons were so that an elephant couldn't just walk right over or through them?
And, wwh, your observation about the nave/navel connection sounds on target--at least on the surface. It will be interesting to see what others might find out about that theory today.
Where's tsuwm?
how large these wagons were
I wonder if the sight of the wagons sunk in the ground caused the elephants to believe that the ground was too soggy to support them.
Nave (?), n. [AS. nafu; akin to D. naaf, G. nabe, OHG. naba, Icel. nöf, Dan. nav, Sw. naf, Skr. nābhi nave and navel: cf. L. umbo boss of a shield. √260. Cf. Navel.]
1. The block in the center of a wheel, from which the spokes radiate, and through which the axle passes; -- called also hub or hob.
2. The navel. [Obs.] hak.
related to navel
sudden memory of doing cartwheels as a kid. [dizzy-e]
Oh, Zed! That is one of the cleverest parallels I've read here all year! Wonderful! I'll never look at a wheel again the same--it will be all belly to me.
He had advancing elephants attacked with spears, causing them to turn and trample the Carthaginian infantry
Sounds like the joke about the tanks manned by one of the armies overrun by Hitler's Panzers at the beginning of WWII.
The tanks had 3 gears, two "Reverse" and one "Forward" in case they were attacked from behind.
Maybe the Nazi tanks should have had similar gears. I remember hearing on shortwave a Nazi propaganda broadcast when the Russians were starting to win, that German forces were "advancing to the rear."
... and here I thought the nave was the part of the church where the congregations sits.
You need to get out more, Father Steve.
Dear AS: are you suggesting that His Honour is naive?
So ... a fortnight in Minneapolis is not "out"?
depends on where you went. spend any time on Hennepin?
Sadly, my daily trudge was back and forth from the Hyatt Regency on Nicolett Mall to the Convention Center. There are some nice restaurants on the mall and I did spend one day at the Mall of America, which has to be seen to be believed.
ah too bad. there's a pretty good amusement park up there, too, I believe. Valley Fair, or some such name...
In reply to:
the Mall of America, which has to be seen to be believed
My daughter took me there on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend a couple of years ago. I was almost knocked flat by the noise when we opened the doors.
It takes a real man to face the floating log ride at Camp Snoopy ... or an excited eight-year-old boy, one of the two.
aw shucks