As ancient Greek military leader Xenophon and his army of Ten Thousand marched through unfamiliar lands, they stumbled upon a seemingly harmless delicacy—honey. Little did they know, this ‘mad honey’ would soon bring them to their knees, rendering them defenseless in a matter of hours. Throughout history, warfare has witnessed a range of unconventional weapons, but one of the most unusual is “mad honey.”
One of the earliest recorded instances of mad honey being used in warfare dates back to 401 BCE.
The Greek general Xenophon, in his work Anabasis, described an unusual event.
As they marched through Pontus, a region now part of modern-day Turkey, Xenophon and his army encountered the Macronians, a local people initially prepared to resist them. However, through negotiation and an exchange of symbolic pledges, the two sides reached an agreement. The Macronians then assisted the Greeks in their journey, helping them cross difficult terrain and providing supplies as they continued toward the sea.
During their journey, the Greeks came across swarms of bees in the area. Some of the soldiers, curious and hungry, ate the local honey.
Soon after, they began to suffer severe effects—vomiting, diarrhea, and disorientation. Those who had eaten small amounts were like drunk men, while those who consumed more appeared mad, or even near death. The army, now incapacitated, lay in great despair, as though they had suffered a defeat.
“There were a great number of swarms of bees in the neighborhood, and the soldiers who ate of the combs all went off their heads, and suffered from vomiting and purging, and not one of them could stand upright.” (Anabasis 4.8.20)
“Those who had eaten but little were like men greatly intoxicated, while those who had taken a large quantity seemed like madmen, or even, in some cases, like dying men.” (Anabasis 4.8.21)
After a full day of incapacitation, the soldiers eventually recovered, but had they encountered an enemy force during this period, their fate could have been disastrous. Within three or four days, they fully recovered, as if awakening from a drug-induced stupor.
Centuries later in 67 BCE, Mithridates VI, the ruler of Pontus, famously used mad honey to defeat the Roman army. Facing the formidable general Pompey, Mithridates’ forces strategically placed large quantities of honey along the path of the advancing Romans.
“The Heptacometæ cut off three of Pompey’s cohorts, as they were passing through the mountains. They placed on their road vessels filled with maddening honey, which is procured from the branches of trees. The men who had tasted the honey and lost their senses were attacked and easily despatched.” (Strabo, Geographica 12.3.40)
Strabo, the Greek geographer and historian, explains that the Pontic army was well aware of the toxic properties of this honey and deliberately set a trap to weaken the enemy before engaging in combat.
Mad honey owes its unique properties to the rhododendron flowers from which bees collect nectar. Found primarily in mountainous regions of Turkey, Nepal and parts of the Caucasus, this honey contains grayanotoxins. These interfere with the sodium channels in the body.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine explains:
“Grayanotoxins are present in many members of the Ericaceae plant family. They interfere in normal sodium channel functioning, resulting in continued stimulation of the vagal nervous system. Grayanotoxin intoxication most often occurs as a result of mad honey consumption in Turkey.”
According to a study from the Balkan Medical Journal, the effects of mad honey poisoning can be severe:
“The toxic ingredient of this honey is Grayanotoxin I. The consumption of mad honey can cause severe bradycardia, hypotension, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.”
Moreover, Grayanotoxins are highly toxic diterpenoids. We find them in the leaves of several species of the genera Rhododendron, Kalmia and Leucothoe in the large Ericaceae (heather) family. These toxins interfere with voltage-gated sodium channels in cell membranes, leading to prolonged depolarization and subsequent physiological effects.
Today, harvesters in specific regions collect mad honey, valuing it for its supposed medicinal benefits. In controlled doses it is believed to improve circulation, boost libido and serve as a natural remedy for certain ailments. However, consuming it remains risky, leading some places to strictly regulate its sale.
The use of mad honey as a weapon is a fascinating reminder of how nature has played an unexpected role in human conflicts. While swords, arrows and catapults dominated ancient battlefields, sometimes the most effective tool was something as unassuming as honey. Whether used deliberately or accidentally encountered, this sweet but toxic substance has left an indelible mark on military history.
