Explanation: The Romans were not particularly familiar with elephants during the early-to-mid Republic. When Pyrrhus of Epirus first confronted them with elephants, they were called 'Lucanian Cows' (Luca Bos) because they were first seen in Lucania.
The elephant is shown coming over the mountain, as about 60 years later, the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca would lead an army of mercenaries with war elephants over the Alps to attack Italy.