Cyclopum tela: оружие массового поражения в "Великом искусстве артиллерии" Казимира Семеновича

ENA weapon of mass destruction is perceived as a means of warfare in the 20th century, the use of which causes significant losses for both the enemy’s manpower, including the civilian population, and the infrastructure. Weapons of mass destruction include chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The origins of chemical and biological weapons date back to ancient times, when, according to the testimony of ancient authors, infectious agents or various poisonous substances were introduced in warfare. In modern times, the preconditions and possibilities for the creation of chemical weapons were first described by Casimir Siemienowicz in “The Great Art of Artillery”, published in Latin in Amsterdam in 1650. On the basis of the knowledge of many artillery and warfare theorists and practitioners of the time, C. Siemienowicz presents the method of the production of poisonous artillery shells, describes the preparation of a poisonous mixture, specifying its components and methods of extraction and collection of poison from plants or animals, discusses the circumstances of the most effective and successful use of such weapons, emphasizes the necessary self-protection measures that should be taken during production. Thus, the author describes the essential structure of a chemical weapon: the operation of a weapon based on the toxicity of poisonous substances, i.e., the result of the explosion – the resulting toxic fumes (suffumigationes venenatas), and the way this result works – the fumes that rise low from the ground, pass through the city, and can even enter the inside of the house (fumus ex illis prognatus, humiliter a terra elevatus, per civitatem grassabitur et in interiora etiam domorum ingredi poterit).The means of using the weapon are also indicated: artillery shells and grenades. The author himself has a negative attitude towards the use of chemical weapons. According to him, the use of poison to take a person’s life, regardless of his/her nationality and beliefs, has no right to be called a weapon. When analyzing the characteristics and means of a biological weapon, C. Siemienowicz remains conservative: he refers to traditional methods and means for the contamination of the environment and air of the besieged object and the spread of viruses, emphasizing the use of antique artillery equipment as particularly suitable for this purpose. Keywords: chemical weapon, artillery, Casimir Siemienowicz, Lithuanian literature, biological weapon.