Semiramis, queen of Assyria (seventh century BC) boasted in an
inscription that she had extended her borders with courage and cunning:
“I compelled rivers to run where I wanted, and I wanted them to run
where it was advantageous.” Diverting rivers is an age-old environmental
tactic in the history of war.
...
Cunning tricks like diverting rivers to gain access to a city or to
cause floods are examples of creative unconventional warfare. Unless
such ploys killed entire populations by drowning (as occurred in some
Islamic attacks by flooding towns in the early Middle Ages), diverting
rivers aroused few moral qualms, because a well-prepared city or army
should be able to anticipate or counter such tactics. But secretly
poisoning water or food was another matter and raised ethical questions
in most ancient societies.
The article is from the website
Wonders and Marvels, a website for those who "love history, it's odd stories and good reads." Articles range from
Vincent Van Gogh’s Rehearsals to
What the Romans Used for Toilet Paper.
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