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Greek Fire

Type Object Region Byzantine Time c. 670–1453

A Byzantine liquid incendiary weapon from the 7th century, its formula strictly secret, that burned on water and was decisive in sieges of Constantin…

Timeline

  1. c. 670Constantinople · Eastern MediterraneanAccording to tradition, the Syrian artisan Kallinikos invented the liquid incendiary; the court classified it as a state secret, with only the imperial family and specific naval artisans knowing the formula, and violators punished by death.
  2. 678–718Golden Horn and Bosphorus of Constantinople · Sea of MarmaraThe Byzantine fleet used Greek Fire to burn enemy ships during the Arab sieges of 678 and 717–718, heavily damaging the Umayyad navy and becoming the key weapon in defending Constantinople.
  3. c. 800–1200Byzantine fleet · Aegean SeaGreek Fire was mounted on warship prows via copper siphons, pressurized and sprayed by the crew, and could also be poured down from city walls, forming the core equipment of the Byzantine naval defense system.
  4. c. 1204–1453Constantinople · Eastern MediterraneanImperial financial collapse and naval shrinkage reduced the use of Greek Fire; the sack of 1204 and ensuing turmoil further damaged the transmission system. By the 1453 siege its power was greatly diminished, and the formula was lost with the fall of the empire.

Sources