Folklorist at Princeton University (new Jersey) of Adriana Meyer, author published in the autumn of 2003 the book "Greek fire, poison arrows and "skorpionov bomb": biological and chemical warfare in the ancient world", says brave and noble warriors of the famous poem by Homer used in battles of the Trojan war boom, impregnated snake venom.

By combining and comparing the testimonies of more than fifty Greek and Latin authors with the data of archeological excavations, E. Meyer came to the conclusion that in ancient times was used biological and chemical weapons, not less terrible than in the XX century Poisonous honey, poisoned water, "skorpionov bombs, asphyxiant, incendiary mixtures (similar to modern Napalm) was widely used in battles. Among the victims, as well as among the followers of the ancient "biochemical" wars, were such historical figures, such as Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and many others.

The earliest mentioning about the use of the poison contained in the description of one of the exploits of the mythological Greek hero Hercules. He infused his arrows poison Larnakoy Hydra, becoming, thus, the Creator of the first in the history of mankind chemical weapons described in the literature.

"Iliad", which is also referred to chemical weapons, was founded around 700 BC, and the events referred to in this poem by Homer (the war between the Greeks and Trojans), took place in 1250 B.C. In the poem describes the legendary ten-year siege of Troy Greek king Menelaus, who tried to rescue his wife Elena from her abductor Paris. Some episodes of "Iliad" indirectly indicate that during battles were used for biological weapons, despite the fact that right Homer about it nowhere says.

Hercules has infiltrated the arrow poison Larnakoy Hydra

"When Menelaus was wounded by an arrow Trojans, healer gave him a bloodletting, and from the wound slowly began to expire "black blood". This way of treatment of a person, bitten by a snake or injured with a poisoned arrow, was distributed in real life," - writes in his book of Adriana Meyer. No doubt, it is the poison of the snake, which were smeared arrows opponents, has caused such a slow after a dense, very dark blood from the wound of the Greek king. In Ancient Greece, for production of deadly weapons used by the poison of vipers - he has long maintained their properties, even after being dried.

- What we now call the biological weapon was used by the warriors of old, " says Robert Fagles, translator of "the Iliad" and the head of the Department of comparative literature at Princeton University. - My favorite example confirming this Odyssey. As a weapon he chose soaked in poison arrows.

Odysseus, famous arrows from a bow, was the first legendary character, who used the juice of poisonous plants for their arrows, argues in his book of Adriana Meyer. Homer told us about how Odysseus went in Western Greece in search of deadly plants to lubricate his juice bronze tips of their arrows. Incidentally, the Odyssey were killed by a poisoned spear. Meyer thinks that ancient warriors often used arrows, tips which were soaked vegetable or other natural poisons. In those days there were at least two dozen species of plants are suitable for this. For the same purposes were used poisonous fish, frogs, insects, cow dung mixed with "bad blood", and the like.

- Book Adriana Meyer is an extremely important contribution to the study of the history of chemical and biological weapons. It is proved that these terrible ways of conducting wars have their roots in ancient times human history, " says the new work folklorist expert on biological and chemical weapons mark Willis from the University of California.