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Greek fire

Type Object Region Byzantine Empire Time c. 672–1204

Greek fire was a Byzantine liquid incendiary weapon projected by siphon that would not extinguish in water, used mainly in naval battles and sieges;…

Timeline

  1. c. 672–678Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireAccording to records, Kallinikos and others improved the incendiary; the Byzantine fleet used Greek fire to repel Arab besieging fleets in the Bosphorus and off the Syrian coast, establishing naval superiority.
  2. 1081–1090Golden Horn and Bosphorus, Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireFacing Norman and Seljuk threats, the Byzantine navy and city defenses still equipped Greek fire projectors for guarding the strait entrances and the Golden Horn chain defense, with the formula continuing to be strictly controlled by the empire.

Sources