Byzantine Greek Fire Tradition

Timeline

1. 670–1100Golden Horn, Constantinople · ByzantineThe Byzantine navy mounted bronze siphons at the prows of warships, pumping Greek fire mixture at enemy vessels. The formula contained petroleum, sulfur and resin, highly flammable and unquenchable by water. The empire classified the craft as a state secret known only to imperial workshops and naval officers.
2. 1204–1250Nicaea · Empire of NicaeaAfter the fall of Constantinople in 1204, the Empire of Nicaea inherited the Greek fire manufacturing tradition, continuing to use flamethrower warships against the Latin Empire and Venetian fleets in the Aegean. Court workshops maintained production of the formula and devices, preserving the core technology for the later recapture of Constantinople.
3. 1251Bosphorus Strait and Constantinople · ByzantineAround Michael VIII's recapture of Constantinople in 1261, the Byzantine navy still equipped Greek fire flamethrower ships for Aegean and strait patrols, deterring Venetian and Genoese merchant fleets. During the 1250s struggles among the empire and Nicaea-Epirus powers, liquid incendiary weapons were an irreplaceable deterrent of Eastern Roman naval defense.