What is Mad Honey? And How Was it Used in Warfare?

Mad honey (also known as deli bal in Turkish) is a reddish, bitter honey produced by bees that feed on Rhododendron nectar. Found in the mountains of Nepal, Turkey’s Black Sea region, and parts of the Caucasus, this honey contains grayanotoxins, neurotoxic compounds that affect sodium channels in the body.

In small doses, mad honey can cause Euphoria and/or Hallucinations. While it does have negative side effects, its psychoactive potency didn’t go unnoticed by ancient warriors, mystics, and traders.

The Greek Mercenaries’ Collapse, Xenophon’s Anabasis (401 BC)

In one of the most vivid early accounts, the Greek soldier-historian Xenophon describes a bizarre and dangerous encounter in his work Anabasis, written in the 4th century BCE.

“The soldiers who had eaten of the honeycombs lost their senses, and were seized with vomiting and purging, and none of them could stand up; those who had eaten but little were like men very drunk, while those who had eaten much resembled madmen, or even dying men.”– Xenophon, Anabasis, Book IV

The Greek mercenary army known as the Ten Thousand was retreating through the Pontic Mountains (in modern-day northern Turkey) after the failed campaign of Cyrus the Younger. Along their path, they discovered abandoned beehives near Trebizond. After consuming the honey, hundreds were rendered completely incapacitated for over 24 hours, although they eventually recovered.

Mithridates’ Honey Trap, The Roman Defeat of 67 BC

Perhaps the most infamous use of mad honey as a deliberate military tactic occurred during the Third Mithridatic War.

Mithridates VI, King of Pontus, was a master of unconventional warfare and toxicology (he even practiced microdosing poisons on himself). As the Romans advanced into his territory under the command of Pompey the Great, Mithridates ordered his troops to leave pots of mad honey along the mountain trails in the region of Heptakometes.

The Roman soldiers, unaware of the honey’s toxicity, consumed it and became violently ill. Mithridates’ forces then attacked the disoriented and weakened Romans, inflicting severe losses.

Ancient and Byzantine Trade

Evidence suggests mad honey was not only used locally but traded throughout Asia Minor and possibly into the Byzantine Empire. It may have been added to wines or fermented beverages, enhancing their intoxicating effect.

Byzantine texts occasionally mention "honey that maddens", and it's possible that upper classes sought it for its recreational use. Roman soldiers were likely aware of its dangers after Mithridates’ trap, but that didn’t stop its trade.

Ottoman Period and the Early Modern Era

During the Ottoman Empire, mad honey was likely used for both folk medicine and recreational highs, especially in coastal Anatolia. It was never fully outlawed, but it was widely known for its dangers. Accounts from traveling diplomats and physicians from the 16th–18th centuries refer to Turkish “wild honey” that caused dizziness and stomach distress.