Biological warfare wasn’t an invention of the 20th century. After far back as the 14th century B.C., armies used diseases and toxins as weapons of war. Even when societies didn’t understand why, they knew a corpse in a water supply was bad for your health. Some examples include:
- 14th Century B.C.: The Hittite Plague. In the 14th century, the Hittites released diseased rams and donkeys to mingle among their enemies’ flocks. The bacterial disease tulameria also affects humans and was stockpiled by both the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War.
- Third Century B.C.: Rome’s Mosquito Army. While Rome didn’t intentionally weaponize malaria, the mosquito-infested marshes to the south and east of the city provided a natural barrier to invading armies.
- Second Century B.C.: Hannibal’s Venomous Vanguard. Hannibal of Carthage catapulted venomous snakes trapped in clay pots at his enemies’ ships. No one is sure how, but the snake bombs were enough to scatter the enemy navy.
- 14th Century: Black Death Bombs. In the 14th century, the Monguls flung corpses infected with the bubonic plague over the walls of castles under siege.
