UFO Case Report:

329 BC: Alexander the Great records two great 'flying shields'

Date: 329 BC
Location: Central Asia,

Alexander the Great records two great silver shields, spitting fire around the rims in the sky that dived repeatedly at his army as they were attempting a river crossing. The action so panicked his elephants, horses, and men they had to abandon the river crossing until the following day.

Alexander the Great from the famous ancient mosaic.

Classification & Features

Type of Case/Report: StandardCase
Hynek Classification: 
Special Features/Characteristics: Famous Person, Witness Photo

Full Report / Article

Source: Bruno Mancusi, UFO Updates mailing list, Apr. 18, 2003
[go to original source]

Alexander the Great records two great silver shields, spitting fire around the rims in the sky that dived repeatedly at his army as they were attempting a river crossing. The action so panicked his elephants, horses, and men they had to abandon the river crossing until the following day.

---------------

UFO researcher Bruno Mancusi, in a posting on the UFO Updates mailing list from April 18, 2003, gives the following references to this event. These references were discovered by him and Macedonian historian Aleksander Donski. Mancusi writes:

I had an e-mails exchange in 2001 with a Macedonian historian,
Aleksandar Donski, about this tale. We found the following
references:

1. Frank Edwards, 'Stranger than Science', Pan, London 1963, p.
198 (1st US edition: 1959):

Alexander the Great was not the first to see them nor was he the
first to find them troublesome. He tells of two strange craft
that dived repeatedly at his army until the war elephants, the
men, and the horses all panicked and refused to cross the river
where the incident occurred. What did the things look like? His
historian describes them as great shining silvery shields,
spitting fire around the rims... things that came from the skies
and returned to the skies."

Unfortunately, there is no reference.

2. Alberto Fenoglio, "Cronistoria su oggetti volanti del passato
- Appunti per una clipeostoria", 'Clypeus' #9, 1st Semester
1966, p. 7 (See English translation by Drake below) :

"L'assedio di Tiro

Durante l'assedio di Tiro nell'anno 332 a. C. sono stati notati
degli strani oggetti volanti. Giovanni Gustavo Droysen nella sua
opera "Storia di Alessandro il Grande" volutamente non lo cita,
ritenendolo parto di fantasia dei soldati macedoni.

La fortezza non cedeva, le sue mura verso terra erano alte una
quindicina di metri e costruite cos=EC solidamente che nessuna
macchina d'assedio era in grado di danneggiarle. I tirii
disponevano dei pi=F9 grandi tecnici e costruttori di macchine da
guerra del tempo e intercettavano per aria le frecce incendiarie
ed i proiettili scagliati dalle catapulte sulla citt=E0.

Un giorno, all'improvviso, comparvero sul campo macedone i
misteriosi oggetti; questi scudi volanti, come erano stati
battezzati, procedevano in formazione a triangolo con in testa
uno molto grosso; gli altri erano pi=F9 piccoli di circa la met=E0.
In tutto erano cinque. Narra l'ignoto cronista che girarono
lentamente su Tiro, mentre migliaia di guerrieri delle due
fazioni stavano a guardarli stupiti. Ad un tratto, dal pi=F9
grosso degli "scudi", part=EC come un lampo che colp=EC un tratto
delle mura e queste si sbriciolarono, altri lampi seguirono e
mura e torri, come se fossero solo state costruite di fango, si
dissolsero, lasciando via libera agli assedianti che si
rovesciarono come una valanga dalle brecce. Gli "scudi volanti"
volteggiarono sulla citt=E0, finch=E8 non venne completamente
espugnata, poi velocissimamente sparirono in alto, confondendosi
in breve con l'azzurro del cielo."

(See English translation by Drake below.) No reference, too.

3. Gordon Creighton, "A new FSR catalogue - The effects of UFOs
on Animals, Birds and smaller creatures - Part 1", Flying Saucer
Review, vol. 16, No. 1, Jan-Feb 1970, pp. 26-28:

THE CATALOGUE-(i) B.C. TO 1946 A.D.

1. Middle East (_Reign of Alexander the Great_, 356-323 B.C.) A
historian of the reign of Alexander the Great allegedly tells of
two strange craft that dived repeatedly at his army, until the
war elephants, the men, and all the horses panicked and refused
to cross the river where the incident occurred... The historian
describes the objects as "great shining silvery shields,
spitting fire around the rims... things that came from the skies
and returned to the skies." Frank Edwards: 'Stranger Than
Science' (See notes.) (Pan Books, London), p. 198.

The notes are on p. 28:

NOTES

Case 1: This story has been related by Frank Edwards as well as
by other writers, but so far I have seen no indication as to
_which_ classical author is responsible for it. It certainly
_sounds_ good... _se non =E8 vero =E8 ben trovato_. I hope that if
there is a Greek or Latin text somebody can tell me where to
find it. Meanwhile, let us keep the story as a fine
introduction... "

As usual, Creighton wrote a very good commentary.

4. W. Raymond Drake, 'Gods and Spacemen in Greece and Rome',
Sphere, London 1976, pp. 115-116:

"Frank Edwards, the noted American UFO reporter, quoting some
source unfortunately not disclosed, states 'Intelligent beings
from outer Space may already be looking us over.' He exasperates
us by claiming

'Alexander the Great was not the first to see them nor was he
the first to find them troublesome. He tells of two strange
craft that dived repeatedly at his army until the war elephants,
the men, and the horses all panicked and refused to cross the
river where the incident occurred. What did the things look
like? His historian describes them as great shining silvery
shields, spitting fire around the rims... things that came from
the skies and returned to the skies.'119

This remarkable incident was apparently paralleled by an equally
fantastic visitation during the Siege of Tyre by Alexander in
332 BC. Quoting Giovanni Gustavo Droysens Storia di Alessandro
il Grande, the erudite Italian Alberto Fenoglio, writes in
CLYPEUS Anno 111, No 2, a startling revelation which we now
translate

'The fortress would not yeld, its walls were fifty feet high and
constructed so solidly that no siege-engine was able to damage
it. The Tyrians disposed of the greatest technicians and
builders of war-machines of the time and they intercepted in the
air the incendiary arrows and projectiles hurled by the
catapults on the city.

One day suddenly there appeared over the Macedonian camp these
"flying shields", as they had been called, which flew in
triangular formation led by an exceedingly large one, the others
were smaller by almost a half. In all there were five. The
unknown chronicler narrates that they circled slowly over Tyre
while thousands of warriors on both sides stood and watched them
in astonishment. Suddenly from the largest "shield" came a
lightning-flash that struck the walls, these crumbled, other
flashes followed and walls and towers dissolved, as if they had
been built of mud, leaving the way open for the besiegers who
poured like an avalanche through the breeches. The "flying
shields" hovered over the city until it was completely stormed
then they very swiftly disappeared aloft, soon melting into the
blue sky.'120"

Strangely, Drake interpreted Edwards (ref. 119) and Fenoglio
(120) versions as two different cases! And he didn't understand
that Fenoglio DOESN'T quote Droysen.

5. There are also some websites like
http://www.ufon.org.uk/ufo_history.html
(this link seems to doesn't work anymore):

"329 BC:
Alexander the Great, via his historians: told of 2 strange
objects in the sky that dived repeatedly at his army as they
were attempting a river crossing. (Jaxartes River). The action
so panicked his elephants, horses, and men they had to abandon
the river crossing until the following day. They were described
as great silver shields, spitting fire around the rims.
Contributed by Thon"

There are two new informations here: year 329 BC (not 332) and
the name of the river. According to Donski, this name (Jaxartes)
is correct, but "our" battle might happened near the river
Indus. And always no reference given...

So this story remains very dubious.

(Bruno Mancusi)

Case ID: 491 edit: 491

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for scientific, research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.