CAMELS IN THE ANCIENT WORLD

Camel in Greek: (kamelos),(bizarion) she-camel or suckling camel (PLond.ined.1821); 
Latin: camelus, dromas, dromeda. 

The ancients knew both the single-humped dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), found in northern Africa, Arabia, and far western Asia, and the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus),with a double hump, today living in Mongolia and parts of China (cf.Solinus, 50, who confuses them). Both animals may have been domesticated early by humans (Potts; Walz 1951, 1954, but cf. Midant-Reynes and Braunstein-Silvestre) to help transport items across landscape unsuitable for other draught animals. Their ability to endure extremes of temperature, to go for days without water, and to subsist on the roughest sort of fodder made them invaluable for these peoples. Each stands about 7 feet at the hump but the Bactrian weighs a bit more. Today’s domesticated Bactrian camel is significantly larger than the wild ones. There is some evidence that the two were cross-bred in antiquity (Potts; cf. WMW, 1078).

Herodotus (3.103) discusses the animal but states that he does not have to describe one since they were familiar to Greeks. He only adds that their hindlegs have four thighbones and four knee-joints and that their genitals extend backward through their legs. The former is based on a misobservation (How and Wells, 1.280–90) and the latter is true. If one looks at the front legs of a dromedary, it does seem that each leg has two joints. This is vividly depicted on a Classical ring (Boardman, 1970, pl. 901; cf. Richter, 1930). He also describes the use the Persians made of the camel in their marches toward Greece and describes lions attacking Xerxes’ camels in far northern Greece (7.125, cf. 1.80 for the fear they engender in horses).

Aristotle was fascinated by camel anatomy (Hist. an. 499a 13f.; Part. an. 676b26f.; 688b24f.). He gives their life span as 30 years, knows they can last a long time without water, and claims they prefer muddy water to clear (Hist. an. 595b 22–96a9). He knows both kinds and tells us that they were equipped with leather shoes when footsore and that they are subject to rabies (604a4–13). Aelian refers to their longevity, claiming that Bactrians can live up to 100 years old and that those used in battle are castrated (4.55). He notes camel races (12.34) held each year by the “Sagaraeans” in honor of Athena.

Strabo (16.4.2) mentions the camel herds of Arabia Felix and he knows of nomads that ride, milk, and eat camels (16.4.18, 23f.). Antiochus Grypus used to give presents to his dinner guests of fully laden camels, complete with attendants (Athenaeus 5.210e). In the fabulist tradition, the camel is variously good tempered (Perry, 458, no. 195, 464, no. 220), a clumsy dancer (Babrius 80; Perry, 436, no. 83), envious of a bull’s horns (Perry, 444, no. 117) and defecating in a river (Babrius 40).

The Greek for the dromedary is “running camel” (dromas kamelos)(Diod. Sic. 19.37.6, Strabo 15.2.10, Plutarch Alexander 31.3). Latin tends to say “camels they call dromedaries” (Livy 37.40.12; SHA Aurelian 28.3). Its speed receives special notice (Quintus Curtius 5.2.10) and Isidore (Etym. 12.1.36), after dutifully noting that it is smaller than its twohumped cousin, derives its name from the Greek word “to run.”

The camel is readily found in ancient art (Schauenburg, 1955–56, 65 passim; Richter, 14, fig. 42, 1968, 32, 168; 1971, 20, 25, 43). One of the earliest representations is on an vase of eastern Greece dating 540–530 bc showing a dromedary being led by a man in foreign dress (Cook, 123–24; cf. Schauenburg, 1955–56, 65). A BF skyphos dated to 525–475 bc may depict a camel in a theatrical scene (Louvre, F410) and Dionysus is shown riding a camel (London, British Museum: E695, compare E685). A sixth century BF skyphos by the Camel painter (Munich, Antikensammlungen 2008) clearly shows a Bactrian being led on a rope by youths (Morin, 130, fig. 144). Compare to this Louvre, F372BIS (Schauenburg, 1955–56, pl. 2.1, BzAr no. 351658) and a red-figure (RF) pelike by the Argos painter (ca. 480 bc) depicts a similar scene with a frankly comic camel with spindly legs, a figure-S neck and the rear hump placed securely over its hind legs (St. Petersburg, Hermitage, 614/ST1603; Boardman, 1975, 113, fig. 183). A Roman intaglio shows the odd scene of a camel carrying a basket in its mouth (Biers, 64, fig. 69). An RF pelike from Nola shows a youth in oriental costume riding a Bactrian (Wurzburg, Universität, Martin von Wagner Mus., H4803, BzAr no. 216607).

A well-drawn Bactrian is engraved on a Greco-Persian gem in London (Boardman, 1970, pl. 901, cf. Boardman and Vollenweider, 24, pl.104). Compare this to a recumbent Bactrian (ibid., pl. 917) whose rear hump is much thinner than the front hump (cf. Richter, 428–30), perhaps indicating that the camel had been drawing on the fat supplies stored in its humps (cf. Boardman and Vollenweider, 26, pl. 117). A Classical gem shows a lion attacking a camel (Boardman, 1970, 309), reminiscent of those that attacked Xerxes’ camels. Toynbee (137–40) lists several works of art depicting camels. Bronze coins from Bostra, Arabia, and Decapolis, issued under Trajan show a camel on the reverse (Blanchet; IBK, 31–32). The Boston Museum of Fine Arts possesses two terracotta camels from Naukratis. One is a fine head (88.1029) and the other is quite fragmentary, but shows a fully laden camel complete with saddle and saddle bags (88.927, cf. the mosaic from El Djem, Blanchard-Lemée, 90–91, fig. 57). The famous palestrina nile mosaic shows a dromedary with the name VABOUS (NABOUS) above it. Compare this to Pliny’s nabun (presumably the accusative of nabus), which he identifies as a giraffe (HN 8.27.69). Cf. nabus.

Throughout antiquity the camel was put to many uses, especially by the Romans, and remains are found as far east as France (Clutton-Brock, 159), Slovenia (Bartosiewicz and Dirjec) and Hungary where it may have been sacrificed (Bökönyi). We have a record of a camel sale from Egypt (Callender) and even a camel tax (Daniel and ijpesteijn). Such was its pervasiveness that lexicons hold such Greek terms as kameloboskos (camel herder), kamelotropheo (to raise camels) and kamelarios (camel driver). Inscriptions speak of a dromedarios (Latin dromadarius), a cavalryman who rides a dromedary POxy.1652a6, BGU 827v, CIL 3.93.10 and L&S s.v.) and the Roman army even had the position of magister camelorum (cf. Kolendo). Its main function was always as a beast of burden, especially useful in the spice trade, but also accompanying armies and even delivering water (Ast and Bagnall; Westermann). Pigière and Henrotay show that both types were present in the northern provices of the Roman Empire throughout its existence. It was even depicted pulling plows, carrying swordsmen and archers into battle, and, of course, as objects of sport and show. An all-black Bactrian camel was paraded in Egypt by Ptolemy I (Lucian Prometheus in verbis 4 =Harmon et al., 6.422) and ptolemy II showed two sets of camels in his procession (Rice, 92–93). Pliny devotes significant space to the camel and is aware of both sorts, Claudius used them in games in the Circus, Nero showed camels drawing quadrigae, and Elegabalus showed camels taught to draw a chariot and also dined on camel hocks. Finally, Pliny HN 28.26.91 lists numerous medicinal and magical uses for a camel. Pseudo-Aristotle (Mir. ausc. 2) tells a strange story of the camel’s inherent morality. Camels will not mate with their mothers and once, when a herder tricked one into doing so, it bit him to death.

By Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr. in "Animals in the Ancient World from A to Z", Routledge, London & New York, 2014, excerpts pp.21-23. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.