Byzantine legacy of Greek fire

Timeline

1. c. 670–900Constantinople · ByzantineAccording to sources such as the Byzantine history of wars, Greek fire was developed with the involvement of figures like the alchemist Callinicus, sprayed from ship prows via siphons, and played a decisive role in naval battles such as the Arab sieges; the formula was known only to the imperial family and a few craftsmen.
2. c. 1341–1350Constantinople and the Bosporus · MarmaraThe years 1341–1350 were a turbulent period of transition between Andronikos III and John V and civil war; although Greek fire could no longer replicate the grand naval battles of the 7th–10th centuries, the empire still regarded it as a strategic secret, maintaining the 'liquid fire' tradition in city defense drills and limited naval engagements, and continuing oral transmission of the formula and siphon technology along with workshop controls.
3. c. 1400–1453Constantinople · ByzantineThe empire's shrinking territory and naval decline sharply reduced opportunities for Greek fire's use; during the Ottoman siege of 1453, the Byzantines still attempted to employ incendiary weapons but could no longer stem the tide. After the fall of the city, the complete formula and manufacturing system were lost, becoming a famous case of 'lost technology' in military history.