Small and slithery, they move in silence.

They fear nothing and no one.

They are tiny but they are mighty.

Dipsas,

Small but deadly snakes, the Dipsas are said to have infested the deserts of Libya. Its name is derived from the gruesome effects of its venom, which were experienced first-hand by Roman soldiers and later described by the poet Lucan.

In the Roman epic poem writtenThe Pharsalia, also known as De Bello Civili meaning On the Civil War, Lucan (39 AD – 65 AD) narrates the civil war between Julius Caesar and the forces of the Roman Senate. In the Book IX of this poem, Lucan also  describes how Cato, a politician and leader of the republic's army, leads the Senate soldiers across Africa. And as the army marc...

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