Wikimedia CommonsA depiction of Greek fire being used at sea against Thomas the Slav, a 9th-century rebel Byzantine general. What’s truly fascinating about Greek fire is that armies who captured the liquid concoction were unable to recreate it for themselves. They also failed to recreate the machine that delivered it.
Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Eastern Roman Empire beginning c. 672. Used to set fire to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible …
“Greek fire” has become infamous as a mysterious East Roman (Byzantine) incendiary weapon that helped the empire survive against many …
Can we recreate Greek fire?
Unlike things like Damascus Steel which we have more or less reversed engineered, we have never been able to recreate Greek Fire. We have a rough idea of what it was probably made out of. Potential ingredients include crude oil, pine resin, sulfur, quicklime, or saltpeter.
What is the modern equivalent of Greek fire?
Greek Fire (also known as Byzantine Fire) was the ancient precursor to the modern Napalm and was first used in battles in the late seventh century.
Could Greek fire have been napalm?
Greek Fire was an incendiary weapon first used in Byzantine warfare in 678 CE. The napalm of ancient warfare, the highly flammable liquid was made of secret ingredients and used both in catapulted incendiary bombs and sprayed under pressure so as to launch flames at enemy ships and fortifications.
How did they put out Greek fire?
It was invented during the reign of Constantine IV Pogonatus (668–685) by Callinicus of Heliopolis, a Greek-speaking Jewish refugee who had fled the Arab conquest of Syria. The substance could be thrown in pots or discharged from tubes; it apparently caught fire spontaneously and could not be extinguished with water.
Does Greek fire still exist?
An ancient incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire, Greek fire involved a heavily guarded formula that we still can’t figure out today.
Why did Greek fire stop being used?
This might be because of the general disarmament of the Empire in the 20 years leading up to the sacking, or because the Byzantines had lost access to the areas where the primary ingredients were to be found, or even perhaps because the secret had been lost over time.
When was Greek fire last used?
Greek fire was introduced in 672 AD in the reign of Emperor Constantine Pogonatus, the inventor being an architect called Callinicus of Heliopolis. Greek Fire was used in the great Siege of Constantinople and with success in their campaigns up to the 13th century.
Is Greek fire still a mystery?
Most modern scholars have deduced that Greek fire was likely comprised of a type of crude oil combined with other substances, such as pine resin, to increase the potency of the flames as well as the length of time it burned. However, the exact combination of substances that made up Greek fire is still unknown.
More Answers On Has Anyone Remade Greek Fire
Greek fire – Wikipedia
Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Eastern Roman Empire beginning c. 672.Used to set fire to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon. Some historians believe it could be ignited on contact with water, and was probably based on naphtha and quicklime.The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect, as it could continue …
Can Greek fire be rediscovered? – Quora
Answer (1 of 15): I suppose so. Obviously we are much better at discovering things now, than people were two or three thousand years ago. Scientists could probably figure out how to make a substance which would do what Greek Fire was reported to do, using only materials available to the Greeks a…
What Is Greek Fire? Inside The Secret Weapon Of The Byzantine Empire
Greek fire was a liquid weapon devised by the Byzantine Empire, which was the surviving, Greek-speaking eastern half of the Roman Empire. Wikimedia Commons The Byzantine Empire in 600 A.D. It would suffer continued attacks throughout the centuries, culminating in the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Also called “sea fire” and “liquid fire …
Secrets Of A Greek Fire Grenade From 800 A.D. – Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Secrets Of A Greek Fire Grenade From 800 A.D. Colton Kruse — March 4, 2020 Greek fire was a weapon wielded by the Eastern Roman Empire for centuries. Militaries used the combustible compound to raze ships, besiege cities, and secure the survival of empires. Despite Greek fire’s importance, its chemical composition was lost to history…
Greece’s deadly wildfires were sparked by 30 years of political failure …
Aug 29, 2021On 23 July 2018, at a seaside settlement north of Athens known as Mati, a demonic fireball incinerated 103 people within minutes – including a friend.
What Is Greek Fire, Who Started It and How Was It made?
The Greek fire may sound like fires peculiar to Greece but the name has a very different and equally deadly meaning. The Greek fire was actually a weapon that was used by the Byzantine Empire. It was developed for the first time inc. 672 and the formula and process used in its creation remains one of the best-kept secrets of all time.
Why does no one know how to make greek fire? : AskHistorians
history gets a bit hazy here, but historical accounts of greek fire pretty much disappear after the crusader sack of the byzantine capital, indicating that the administration collapsed to the point where the successor empire of nicaea lost some or most of the engineers who knew components of the greek fire formula, losing the ability to produce …
TIL that Greek Fire, fire that was almost impossible to put … – reddit
TIL that Greek Fire, fire that was almost impossible to put out and generally used to attack ships, was created in the 7th century but its recipe has been lost to history and we still aren’t completely sure what it was made of. : todayilearned
Fires in Greece Leave Ruins and Devastation Behind
Aug 4, 2021The Greek National Highway, which runs from Athens to Lamia, has been closed due to the flames, and all train services between Athens and Thessaloniki have also been canceled. The Greek Fire Brigade was assisted by the Greek army, and the police – including 305 policemen and 3 riot police teams. Hundreds of volunteers and employees in the …
Greece: Forest fire rips through area near Athens – BBC News
Jul 27, 202127 July 2021 Greece wildfires EPA The fire, north of Athens, was brought under control on Tuesday An area north of the Greek capital Athens has been hit by a forest fire with temperatures set to…
Greece’s fires cause choking smoke, threaten heritage sites
Aug 9, 2021Greece’s fires cause choking smoke, threaten heritage sites A firefighter and a volunteer try to put out a fire in Afidnes, some 20 miles from the Greek capital of Athens, on Aug. 6, 2021. Greek…
2021 Greece wildfires – Wikipedia
v. t. e. The 2021 Greece wildfires are multiple wildfires burning in Greece since early August 2021, which have killed 3 people, [4] [5] injured at least 20 others and burned dozens of homes, after a historic heatwave for the country with the highest temperatures, reaching 47.1 °C (116.8 °F). Authorities have evacuated several villages and towns.
Greek Fire: What Was The Byzantines’ Secret Weapon? – HistoryExtra
Aug 17, 2021After being created, supposedly by a Jewish refugee called Callinicus of Heliopolis, its ingredients became a state secret. The recipe was eventually lost. While petroleum, naphtha, quicklime and sulphur are educated guesses, the exact composition of Greek fire remains unknown. That’s probably for the best. Read more…
Greek firefighters battle ’raging’ forest fire near Athens
Aug 4, 2021As well as the fire north of Athens, two further forest fires were still burning on Wednesday elsewhere in Greece, on the island of Evia and in the southwestern Peloponnese region. The fire …
Greece wildfires spread, causing mass evacuations – BBC News
Aug 7, 2021Thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated from towns north of the Greek capital, Athens, as wildfires spread across the country. Strong winds and high temperatures are making it …
’Unprecedented’: Massive forest fire ravages Greek island – 9News
Aug 10, 20219:04pm Aug 10, 2021. Firefighters and residents battled into the night for a seventh day against a massive fire on Greece’s second-largest island as the nation endured what the prime minister …
After a long battle, firefighters contain some wildfires in Greece.
Aug 12, 2021Eirini Vourloumis for The New York Times. ATHENS — After 10 days of battling blazes across the country, firefighters in Greece managed to contain some of them on Thursday, although a …
Greece fires: 150 houses destroyed by wildfires as monks refuse to …
Aug 5, 2021At least 150 houses have been destroyed by a raging fire that surrounded a monastery and a dozen villages on the Greek island of Evia, one of over 100 blazes burning in the country.
Greece wildfires rip through towns as residents watch in horror
Aug 8, 2021Aug. 8, 2021, 3:21 AM PDT By Molly Hunter, Tony Hemmings and Rhea Mogul KRYONERI, Greece — Diomataris Glakousakis watched in horror as scorching flames engulfed a forest near his home. “This is a…
Thousands evacuated from Athens suburb as fires rage amid worst …
Aug 5, 2021Homes are currently burning in Evia and Olympia, and according to reports from Greek media there are people trapped by the fire. Outside Athens, thousands of olive trees and other farms have been …
Greece fires: Thousands flee homes as blaze ravages Greek island amid …
Aug 9, 2021Scorching temperatures and fierce winds have helped the fire spread rapidly with forests, homes and businesses destroyed. Reports in the Greek media on Monday morning said valuables at a former …
The first written references to liquid fire — as it was called the Greek / Byzantine fire — were made by the chronicler Teofan Confessor. It speaks of the years of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatus (665-685 AD), who successfully used this technology in the clashes he had with the Arabs in their first attempt to conquer Constantinople. (674-678 AD).
Greece works to contain wildfires, as help arrives from other nations.
Aug 9, 2021Greece works to contain wildfires, as help arrives from other nations. The fires that have been raging in Greece for nearly a week show no signs of stopping. The biggest fire is in Evia, where …
Can Greek fire be rediscovered? – Quora
Answer (1 of 15): I suppose so. Obviously we are much better at discovering things now, than people were two or three thousand years ago. Scientists could probably figure out how to make a substance which would do what Greek Fire was reported to do, using only materials available to the Greeks a…
The mystery of Greek fire – HeritageDaily – Archaeology News
When and how the use of Greek fire was discontinued is not exactly known, but from the Fourth Crusade (AD 1202-1204) onwards the secret of Greek fire appears to have been lost, remaining a mystery that many chemists throughout the centuries have tried in vain to replicate. Header Image – A Byzantine ship using Greek fire – Public Domain.
Secrets Of A Greek Fire Grenade From 800 A.D. – Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Greek fire was a weapon wielded by the Eastern Roman Empire for centuries. Militaries used the combustible compound to raze ships, besiege cities, and secure the survival of empires. Despite Greek fire’s importance, its chemical composition was lost to history…. Fire has been one of the deadliest weapons of war since ancient times.
Greek Fire: The Weapon that Protected the Byzantine Empire
The “Greek fire” was a mysterious incendiary weapon that helped the mighty Byzantine Empire survive and ensure that it continued to exercise its sovereignty for many centuries. Using a unique formula—which even today’s scientists have trouble figuring out—the Greeks of Byzantium kept the enemy away from their vast lands which once …
Greek Fire – The Ancient Weapon Still A Mystery Today
Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire in c. 672. Used to set light to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon. Some historians believe it could be ignited on contact with water, and was probably based on naphtha and quicklime. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect, as it could supposedly …
Greek fire | weaponry | Britannica
Greek fire, any of several flammable compositions that were used in warfare in ancient and medieval times. More specifically, the term refers to a mixture introduced by the Byzantine Greeks in the 7th century ce. The employment of incendiary materials in war is of ancient origin; many writers of antiquity refer to flaming arrows, firepots, and such substances as pitch, naphtha, sulfur, and …
What Greek Fire Really Was – skeptoid.com
The name Greek fire came from the Crusaders, who used the term generically for all incendiary weapons. The complex weapon system of Greek fire and the siphons and fire ships may not have been what the historians were referring to in many cases. The secrecy surrounding Greek fire may have also been its downfall. Greek fire was a complete weapon …
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