The Honey Jar Assassinations

In ancient Rome, honey was sometimes used as a murder weapon through a method called 'mad honey' poisoning. Bees that feed on certain rhododendron flowers produce honey containing grayanotoxins, which cause hallucinations, paralysis, and in large doses, death. In 67 BCE, Pompey the Great's army was deliberately given mad honey by enemies in the Black Sea region. Thousands of Roman soldiers became incapacitated, making them easy targets for slaughter. The practice was documented by Xenophon in 401 BCE when Greek mercenaries consumed mad honey and spent days writhing on the ground. Mad honey is still produced in parts of Turkey and Nepal, where locals consume small amounts for its hallucinogenic effects. Several tourists die each year from unknowingly consuming it. In 2018, a Korean man required hospitalization after eating mad honey imported from Nepal. The honey appears identical to regular honey, making it the perfect poison—sweet, innocuous, and deadly.