Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Biological & Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World "A comprehensive look at WMD's antecedents, from flamethrowers of the Peloponnesian War to plague-bearing booby traps.... Rich and entertaining." -Newsweek Featuring a new introduction by the author. Flamethrowers, poison gases, incendiary bombs, the large-scale spreading of disease... are these terrifying agents and implements of warfare modern inventions? Not by a long shot. Weapons of biological and chemical warfare have been in use for thousands of years, and Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs, Adrienne Mayor's fascinating exploration of the origins of biological and unethical warfare draws extraordinary connections between the mythical worlds of Hercules and the Trojan War, the accounts of Herodotus and Thucydides, and modern methods of war and terrorism. Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs will catapult readers into the dark and fascinating realm of ancient war and mythic treachery-and their devastating consequences. |
Contents
Introduction | |
THE INVENTION OF BIOLOGICAL | |
ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE ARROWS OF DOOM | |
POISON WATERS DEADLY VAPORS | |
A CASKET OF PLAGUE IN THE TEMPLE OF BABYLON | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
aconite Aelian Aeneas the Tactician agents Alexander Alexander’s ancient Greek animals antidotes antiquity Apollo archers army arrow poisons Arthashastra Asia Athenian attack battle bees besiegers biochemical weapons biological and chemical biological warfare biological weapons bioweapons bombs burning Carthaginian catapult caused century BC chapter chemical weapons combustible contagion created deadly death defense described destroyed Dio Cassius Diodorus of Sicily disease effects elephants enemy epidemics example Faraone FIGURE flames Frontinus Greek Fire Hatra hellebore Hercules Herodotus historian Homer honey human Hydra incendiaries India insects invention Islamic Kautilya killed King Kirrha legend Lucullus Medea mice military Mithridates modern Museum mythic naphtha Odysseus Partington 1999 Peloponnesian Peloponnesian War Persians petroleum Philoctetes plague plant Pliny poison arrows poison weapons Polyaenus projectiles Psylli Quintus of Smyrna rodents scientists scorpions Scythian siege smoke snake venom soldiers stinging Strabo strategies sulphur temple Thucydides toxic toxins Trojan Troy victims viper war elephants warriors wine wound