3 Maccabees 5:44-46

Common English Bible

⁴⁴ Then the friends and officials departed with joy and confidently assigned the armed forces to the places in the city that were best for keeping watch.

Horror at the racecourse

⁴⁵ Now the elephant keeper drove the beasts almost to a state of madness with the most fragrant drinks, namely, wine mixed with incense, and he equipped them with frightful trappings. ⁴⁶ Around dawn, when the city was already filled with countless crowds moving toward the racecourse, he entered the palace and urged the king on to the matter at hand.