First published 2003
Adrienne Mayor examines the long history of unconventional warfare, revealing how biological and chemical weapons have existed for millennia. She connects ancient Greek myths featuring Hercules with historical accounts from the Trojan War, then bridges these early examples to contemporary military tactics and terrorist methods. Mayor draws from classical historians like Herodotus and Thucydides alongside modern sources to document ancient formulas for toxic arrow coatings, plague-infected traps, flammable petroleum mixtures, and suffocating gases. She describes how ancient warriors weaponized dangerous creatures, deploying venomous serpents and poisonous insects against their enemies. Throughout her investigation, Mayor grapples with the ethical questions these weapons raise. She asks whether such tactics represent clever innovation or cowardly behavior, whether they deserve admiration or condemnation. The book reveals how these moral dilemmas have persisted across centuries of human conflict.
Genres: history, science, non-fiction, military-history, ancient-history, academic
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: ethical-dilemmas, historical-accounts, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Greece, Trojan War
Period: Ancient
319 pages · Hardcover · Overlook Books