3 heinous instances of biological warfare from the pages of history
We’ve all lived through COVID-19 pandemic that brought the world to a standstill. And I’m sure you must’ve heard of a few conspiracy theories about how COVID-19 was created as a form of bioweapon. But what exactly are bioweapons? Well, they are weapons made of biological components such as deadly viruses or bacteria. Although bioweapons may seem to be a recent phenomenon, they have been there for more than 3000 years used by rulers to strike terror. Here are three instances from the pages of history when biological weapons were used.
The Hittite plague in 1600 BC
The Hittite plague was an epidemic of tularemia (bacterial infection) originated during the Hittite empire. And you guessed it right, it was named Hittite plague because of the place of its origin, the Hittite empire. The Hittite empire was founded around 1600 BC in current Turkey. Their kingdom was a significant powerful empire in the Middle East. But this empire is most known for being one of the earliest empires to use biological warfare.
The rival traders of the Hittite empire would often capture wandering animals and take them back to their towns. So, to teach them a lesson, the Hittite traders used animals as a bioweapon. Around 1320 BC, the Hittite traders strategically let off diseased sheep and donkeys along the trade route used by the rivals. The diseased animals had tularemia, a bacterial illness that was fatal back then. Tularemia can spread from animals to humans. And the wandering ships and donkeys captured by the enemy traders spread this illness like wildfire! The so-called ‘Hittite Plague’ was meant to cripple only their enemies. However, it caused an epidemic that extended from Israel to Syria and Cyprus to Iraq.
The venomous vanguard of ancient Rome
Hannibal of Carthage, the commander of Carthage army, one of the most formidable enemies that ancient Rome ever encountered, was a tactical and martial genius. One tactic he often used was biological warfare! In 184 BC, during a conflict between Bithynia (a kingdom in Turkey) and Pergamon (a powerful Greek city), Hannibal was leading the navy against the outmatched Bithynian and fighting for Pergamon. Seeing the enemies on the winning side, he decided to use an innovative strategy to defeat them. So, what did he come up with? Well, he instructed his soldiers to gather a considerable quantity of poisonous snakes, which they then put into clay pots. Then, Hannibal ordered his soldiers to throw these snake bombs on the king’s ship! Now, who wouldn’t be horrified if there was a shower of snakes out of nowhere? Naturally, the monarch escaped with his navy, which allowed Hannibal to make a mark on the pages of military history. Crazy!
The Black Death bombs of the Mongol Empire
Historically, many armies have thrown dead animals and humans over city walls to torment their rivals. However, the Mongol Empire reigning between the 13th and 14th century in the present-day Mongolia, used a tactic that profoundly impacted the world! During their siege of Caffa (modern-day Ukraine) in 1346, the Mongols used a biological warfare tactic, where they threw dead bodies over the walls of the city. However, these were no ordinary dead bodies. These were infected with the bubonic plague, sometimes known as the Black Death! Quickly the plague started spreading among Caffa citizens and people visiting the city. This sickness could quickly kill 70 to 80 per cent of its victims. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, United States, asserts that the plague remains a significant bioterrorism concern despite being curable with current medications (if treated immediately).