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What is Greek fire, who started it and how was it made?
Greek fire may sound like a fire peculiar to Greece but the name has a very different and equally deadly meaning. Greek fire was actually a weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. It was developed for the first time Inc. 672 and the formula and process used in its creation remain one of the best kept secrets of all time.
Greek fire has fascinated people so much the age that it’s featured in video games like Assassin’s Creed and in literature like the Harry Potter franchise. Guessing the structure of Greek fire has become a popular past of people who have heard of it. If you don’t know the history of fire, you should learn more about it below.
What is Greek fire and who started it?
The Byzantines were a Greek-speaking part of the eastern wing of the Roman Empire, taking their name from the place where they were founded in Byzantium. The Empire was quite prosperous and survived a thousand years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. They used their Greek fire most often in naval battles as it had properties that allowed it to float and burn on water. Greek fire was undoubtedly responsible for many Byzantine military victories, as it offered a technological advantage that much of its enemies did not have. It was primarily credited with ensuring the survival of the empire as it saved Constantinople from two Arab sieges.
The originators of Greek fire did not initially call it that, although the name has had its place in most languages since the Crusades. The Byzantine sources called their incendiary weapon everything from sea fire, war fire, liquid fire, factory fire, to Roman fire. The term Greek fire that eventually took over and was used as an umbrella term for all types of incendiary weapons. This was due to the impression it had on Western European crusaders. Other people who started making their own version of Greek fire include the Mongols, the Arabs, and the Chinese.
How was Greek fire made?
The original Greek fire remains one of the world’s best kept secrets of war. No one in those times could figure out the formula used by the Byzantines, so other empires tried to imitate and use their own mixtures and formulas. Although no one has come to any conclusion about the immense debate and speculation surrounding the manufacture of the incendiary weapon, some suggestions have been made.
As for the apparatus used to emit the fire, it is speculated that the Byzantines used pressure nozzles or siphons that projected the liquid in the direction they pointed it. The device is said to be similar in function to a modern flamethrower. Quite a number of armies actually got some of the liquid that was Greek fire along with the invention used to fire it, but still could not exactly duplicate it. It is their own findings that historians and scientists continue to speculate on.
Greek fire is said to inspire even more modern weapons like the flamethrower and the napalm. The uniqueness of this particular incendiary weapon stems from the fact that it can burn on water and stick to surfaces, with vinegar, sand and old urine being the only things that can extinguish it. In fact, it’s possible that it might actually be ignited with water. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Greek fire formula died out with the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantines also expanded their use of the Greek fire to include it in hand grenades. These shells were filled with Greek fire and then sealed. They were thrown at the enemy and exploded into a fireball that eliminated them. Modern grenades are descended from these Byzantine devices, but now they use explosives instead of Greek fire.
