Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Unconventional Warfare in the Ancient World

by Adrienne Mayor

The popular, historically accurate 3D video game Rome: Total War was first released in 2003. The game featured realistic war elephants. The following year, inspired by my description in chapter 6 of the best defense against war elephants known in antiquity, a new zoological weapon was introduced by the game’s developers: pigs cruelly set on fire. One reviewer described the demonstration of the new feature on GameSpy.com: “I had waited 12 months for this! I was on the edge of my seat. The elephants came pounding down the hillside toward my legions. ‘All right, let’s send in the pigs!’ the developers hollered. I was sweating with anticipation. At long last! Our superweapon unveiled! ‘Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Pigs of War!’ I bellowed.” But, he continued, “Here’s the thing, the thing to remember about a flaming pig. It doesn’t go where you tell it to … [the pigs] ran through my lines of troops, causing them to break formation. Men were running around, screaming, catching on fire, and howling with pain. The pigs went everywhere, everywhere except toward the elephants, who continued their charge unfazed, then rammed into our panicked troops like freight trains. How many strategy games offer THAT? I must have this game.”21