Poisons, microbes, animals, hellfire. The history of biological and chemical weapons in the ancient world

The ideas of destroying enemies through the lethal forces of nature originated in ancient times and have developed throughout human history. Archaeological finds and testimonies from more than 50 ancient authors show that biological and chemical weapons were actively used in real battles — in Europe and the Mediterranean, in North Africa, in Mesopotamia, in Anatolia, in the Asian steppes, and without the use of weapons of mass destruction, warring parties would not have achieved significant success. Among those who used biochemical weapons or became its victims were such famous figures as Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great.
In the expanded edition of the book by renowned Western historian Adrienne Mayor, the depth and scale of the use of biological and chemical weapons in the ancient world and the associated practical and ethical issues are shown. The temporal scope spans almost 3000 years, starting from the Near Eastern records of 1500 BC and the archaic Greek myths first compiled by Homer around 750–650 BC, with evidence from Latin authors — from the founding of Rome to the late Roman Empire of the 6th century AD. Material on the use of biological and chemical weapons in China, Japan, India, both Americas, Persia, Central Asia, and Islamic states is presented. In constant contact with historians, scientists, archaeologists, and other researchers of ancient and modern biological and chemical weapons, the author provides new facts about the toxic weapons of the past and about modern armaments.