9 – Venomous Snakes as a Weapon
Ancient commanders routinely came up with unusual strategies to defeat enemies, and given how savvy Hannibal was, it’s no surprise to learn that he had a few tricks up his sleeve. One of his strangest was the use of venomous snakes as weapons. During the war between Pergamon and Bithynia (190 – 184 BC), Hannibal fought for King Prusias of Bithynia.
During a battle at sea, Hannibal was outnumbered by the enemy, so he resorted to an unheard-of tactic; he created an ingenious scheme that preyed on the Pergamonian fear of poison and pain. First of all, Hannibal told some of his men to go ashore and capture as many venomous snakes as possible. Then they would pack the snakes into clay vessels and bring them back on board the ship.
As clever as the plan was, there was no finesse shown in the delivery of the unusual arsenal. The Bithynian force threw the clay pots filled with snakes onto the ships of the enemy when they got close enough. When the clay pots smashed on the decks of the Pergamonian ships, their initial reaction was to laugh at the perceived futility of the assault. It didn’t take long for them to change their tune.
As soon as they witnessed the slithering snakes crawl along their decks, the Pergamonian sailors went into full panic mode and were unable to fight. They ultimately surrendered despite having a significant advantage regarding ships and sailors. It was one of Hannibal’s last victories, but it showed his ability to think on his feet and find a win by any means necessary.
