Cretan cattle

Origins

After a plague many men had died. So many that there weren't enough hands to harvest the crops. To help the people Zeus gifted a Cretan bull and ox to aid in their harvest. Because a Cretan bull could do the work of five native ones they were mass bred and spread throughout the Greek world.

Use

They can pull the heavies ploughs and cars making them indispensable for ordinary farmers and supply lines for armies on the march.

Biology

The Cretan Bull is the most useful of the two sexes because of its strength. The female however lacks such power and carries a child for over two years. This makes it vulnerable to unexpected climate changes and predators. When the female is about to give birth a pheromone is released which attracts sabertooths and wolf of the like. This is why the bulls must be so strong to defend their offspring. Once the calf is born it's already able to live on its unlike other cattle. If it's an ox it will focus on feeding to get as strong as possible to carry offspring. If it's a bull it will also focus on feeding and will challenge the alpha of the herd to take its place. As a farmer that is you. This is why it's strongly advised to train yourself if your going to herd Cretan cattle.

Imperial Rome

With the expansion of the empire Cretan cattle was introduced around Sula's rule. Breeding the cattle en mass they was an abundance of bulls. To make use of this profusion another profession was created. To make the bulls as aggressive as possible. These would get the best treatment possible and be used in the arena or let loose in enemy territory.