Editing Espionage (section)

=== Ancient world ===
Espionage has been recognized as of importance in military affairs since ancient times.

The oldest known classified document was a report made by a spy disguised as a [[Envoy (title)|diplomatic envoy]] in the court of [[King Hammurabi]], who died in around 1750 BC. The [[ancient Egypt]]ians had a developed secret service, and espionage is mentioned in the ''[[Iliad]]'', the [[Bible]], and the [[Amarna letters]].<ref name="foo">{{cite web |title=Espionage Facts |url=https://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/spy-resources/espionage-facts/ |website=International Spy Museum |access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref> Espionage was also prevalent in the [[Greco-Roman world]], when spies employed illiterate subjects in [[civil service]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Richmond |first=J. A. |date=1998 |title=Spies in Ancient Greece |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/643204 |journal=Greece & Rome |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=1–18 |doi=10.1093/gr/45.1.1 |jstor=643204 |issn=0017-3835}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ñaco del Hoyo |first=Toni |date=November 2014 |title=Roman and Pontic Intelligence Strategies: Politics and War in the Time of Mithradates VI |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26098615 |journal=War in History |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=401–421 |doi=10.1177/0968344513505528 |jstor=26098615 |s2cid=220652440 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ehoward |date=2006-06-12 |title=Espionage in Ancient Rome |url=https://www.historynet.com/espionage-in-ancient-rome/ |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=HistoryNet |language=en-US}}</ref>

The thesis that espionage and intelligence has a central role in [[war]] as well as [[peace]] was first advanced in ''[[The Art of War]]'' and in the ''[[Arthashastra]]''. "The Art of War," identifies five types of spies that are essential for gathering intelligence and achieving victory: ''local spies'' (citizen [[informants]] within the enemy's territory), ''inward spies'' (recruited [[double agent]]s within the enemy ranks), converted spies (recruited [[Defection|defectors]] converted to serve your side), doomed spies (expendable [[Fabricator (intelligence)|fabricators]] used to spread disinformation; acts as decoy for counter-intelligence), and surviving spies (spies that provide accurate intelligence after gathering information from the enemy).