Description

D'Annunzio's battle scream: "Eja, Eja, Alalà!"

Painted by the futurist painter Giacomo Balla.

The battle cry, but also of exultation, was the union of 2 ancient exclamations: the expression "Eja" was used by Alexander the Great to incite his horse Bucefalo, while "Alalà" was the war cry used by the ancient Athenian Greeks.

The cry of exultation was first used by Italian aviators for the air raids on Pola (August 1917), then as a battle cry in the conquest of Fiume (September 1919). The expression was adopted by the fascists and with the fall of fascism, D'Annunzio's motto also fell into disuse.