 As was proven many times before, as well as in the wars of Pyrrhus of Epirus and Hannibal, elephants could throw a competent enemy battle line into confusion and win the day, as long as the enemy was not accustomed to battle against them.Yet, if used for a frontal assault, the danger of them being routed and falling in panic into the lines of their own army was great.As Livy attested, elephants were more dangerous when scared than when controlled.