Ancient Germ Warfare

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Ancient Germ Warfare

 

The horrors of germ warfare are very apparent. But is this the first

time that such weapons have existed? The evidence of history suggests

that it isn't.

 

In fact numerous ancient references show germ warfare is far from

being a modern development.

 

 

 

Germ Warfare Deep in Antiquity.

 

Did the ancients use biological weapons?

 

Modern apprehensions over chemical and biological weapons have

recently achieved saturation media coverage. We tend to think of

this as a typically modern method of warfare, but here you would be

deeply mistaken. In fact there is evidence tracing back knowledge of

germ warfare into deepest antiquity.

 

Controversy

 

Some time ago an article by Adrienne Mayor in the Quarterly Journal

of Military History maintains that passages from ancient mythological

texts are a a sure description of prehistoric germ warfare. She

writes that " legends of Heracles's Hydra-venom arrows express the

complex moral issues that surrounded real biological warfare in the

ancient world, setting in motion a controversy that continues to this

day. " Mayors adds: " Numerous ancient historians provide strong

evidence that biological weapons were not only contemplated but

actually used. "

 

Deadly concoction.

 

The article goes on to describe how ancient poison darts relied on a

deadly concoction of snake venom mixed with human blood and animal

dung. The mixture was then allowed to putrify before use. These crude

methods proved quite deadly. Victims were stricken by shock and

paralysis, followed by gangrene a day or so later. Death would be

slow and agonising.

 

The ancient historian Diodorus Siculus describes another lethal

potion described as the " drug of mortal effect. " This apparently

induced numbness and convulsions, followed by gangrene and death.

 

To go direct to Adrienne Mayor's home page on the topic please click

on the link below.

 

Ancient Germ Warfare.

 

Latest Publication.

 

Also on a similar topic Adrienne Mayor has just published another

book entitled: Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological

and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World. This concerns the mythic

origins and the historical practice of biological and chemical

warfare in antiquity and is published in the US by Overlook Press and

in Great Britain by Duckworth.

 

Anyone wishing to purchase a copy should below.

 

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs:

 

A deeper mystery - Anthrax in prehistory.

 

In his book entitled Prehistoric Germ Warfare author Robin Collyns

claims that many of our most virulent viruses are in fact the

remnants of a biological war that was fought out many thousands of

years ago. He claims that the disease anthrax is one example of this.

 

Anthrax is one of the most ancient diseases known to man and is

caused by bacteria that affect warm blooded animals including humans.

It can be caught by drinking infected water, or more interestingly

from contaminated soil where the anthrax organism can survive for

many years.

 

Terrible consequences.

 

From a study of ancient records Collyns maintains that the disease is

not as potent as it once was. This leaves him to suppose that it has

become weakened with age, after first being used as a biological

weapon. Collyns makes a similar analogy with several other of the

20th century's most virulent viruses. He comments: " despite the

terrible consequences from some of these diseases today, they are not

as virulent as they once were. " Adds Collyns: " One year of research

into the subject of germ warfare positively indicated to me that in

antiquity Cholera was one of the more deadly artificially cultured

warfare diseases.... "

 

 

http://www.nasca.org.uk/Strange_Maps/

germwarfare/germwarfare.html