Bees,aswellastheirhoney,havebeenusedasweaponssincetimeimmemorial.InthefirstcenturyBC,inacampaignledbyRomangeneralPompeyagainsttheHeptakometesinAsiaMinor,aboutonethousandofPompey'ssoldierswerepassingthroughanarrowmountainpasswhentheycameuponacacheofhoney.Thesoldiers,accustomedtolootingtoaugmenttheirprovisions,haltedtheiradvanceandeagerlydevouredthehoney--andsoonbecameafflictedwithdeliriumandviolentseizuresofvomitingandpurges.Insuchaconditiontheywereeasilydefeated.
Itseemsthatthehoneyhadbeenleftinthesoldiers'pathnotinanactofflightfromtheadvancingforcesbutasapoisonousbaittostupefythem.Thelocalsmusthavebeenwellawarethathoneyproducedduringcertaintimesoftheyearwasnaturallypoisonous.
自古以來，蜜蜂以至蜂蜜都有人用作武器。公元前一世紀，羅馬將領龐培出征小亞細亞的七村人，約有一千士兵經過一狹窄谷口，找到許多蜂蜜。他們向來靠搶掠補充糧食，於是停下來大快口腹──不久紛紛變得神志不清，嘔吐腹瀉大作，結果不堪一擊。
看來，那些蜂蜜不是七村人望風潰逃無意遺下的，而是有心放在羅馬軍路上，教他們吞下毒餌迷糊神志。當地人一定知道，一年什麼時節所產蜂蜜含有天然毒素。
【附注】Heptakometes是阿拉伯文，意思是「七個村莊的人」。Cache指貯藏的物品，例如：Thepolicefoundacacheofexplosives（警方找到一批炸藥）。