What was the first conspiracy theory? Who started them and why?

[10ClarionSt]

There's plenty of conspiracy theories around but how long have they been going? What was the first one?

[Clanad]

One of the oldest surely must be found in Matthew's account of the events following the burial and resurrection of the Christ:

Now while they were going,some of the guards (positioned at the tomb) came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, saying, "Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. If this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry." So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until this day.

Matthew 28:11-15

[Peter Pedant]

No defeintielly

Genesis and Adam and Eve

Eve get the cr++py end of the stick for totally specious reasons.

what about the story that Cleopatra bewtiched Mark Antony. Such a common theory that femina in poetry was held to signify C unless otherwise stated.

[Octavius]

Probably not the first, but the 'suspicious' death of Tutankhamun has been knocking around for a while, along with the plot to kill (uncle) Caesar.

You could consider any world event where there is a hint of psychological paranoia to be a concpiracy theory, and to be religious about it, this could go as far back as the earliest religious or mythological writings.

But to revert to 'common' knowledge rather than quote ancient Sumerian text, let us say that the Garden of Eden episode as referred to above was generally considered to be a factual - albeit fanciful version - record of the neolithic revolution and based on actual events occuring at the beginning of the Sumerian Civilisation (about 7,000 years ago). That could be considered a conspiracy theory?

However, in popular culture, the concept of conspiracy theories evolved as a cultural 'hobby' in the 1960's when books on the JFK assassination and the moon landings became ....creative.