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Byzantine Greek Fire
Liquid incendiary weapon developed by the Byzantine Empire in the seventh century, projected via siphon or catapult, unquenchable by water, decisive …
Timeline
- c. 670–680Constantinople · ConstantinopleAccording to the Byzantine History of Wars, the Syrian craftsman Kallinikos was summoned to develop an incendiary liquid weapon for the empire; the formula was strictly guarded by the imperial house, with violators facing capital punishment.
- 674–678Sea of Marmara and the waters of Constantinople · Sea of MarmaraByzantine fire ships sprayed Greek fire through siphons to burn the Arab fleet, breaking the naval blockade of the capital; Greek fire thereby became the core instrument of imperial naval defense.
- 800–1204Aegean Sea · Aegean SeaGreek fire was fitted to the imperial fleet and wall-mounted catapult devices, used in numerous sieges and naval battles; the recipe's transmission was confined to royal workshops, making it difficult for outsiders to imitate.
Sources
- Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World — Adrienne Mayor (2003)