Greek Fire - a Terrifying Early Medieval Weapon

Greek Fire, also identified as Byzantine Fire, Greek Byzantine Fire, and Sea Fire, was a terrifying naval weapon mastered by the Greeks and the Byzantines through early Medieval instances.

This may perhaps be the earliest kind of naval napalm, and permitted their ships to fight with fire, with some claims that there was so a great deal fire that it seemed like they may perhaps light the water itself.

The Byzantines ordinarily made use of it in naval battles to wonderful impact, and their opponents' ships ordinarily could not escape it considering the fact that the Greek fire would continue to burn, even on water. As the fire spread, much more and much more ships would be consumed by the fire.

By what couple of surviving historical accounts we have left, Greek fire may well continue burning even on water and was largely accountable for numerous Byzantine military victories, extending the life of the empire many centuries.

Through lots of early battles with Islamic nations more than Constantinople, victory was assured only considering the fact that Greek fire may well not be countered, and was utilised to devastating impact.

What is truly fascinating is that accounts have the fire becoming transmitted in streams of fire from enemy ships, nearly like a flame thrower. The precise formula for this naval medieval weapon was a secret, and really remains a mystery to this day.

Scientists can only guess as to what it was, and how it was shot in a flame thrower kind. The funny factor is, they genuinely have no clue, displaying that in some methods, our ancestors had been definitely had technologies we do not have right now!

There are varying accounts of exactly where Greek fire came from, although several think that it was invented in Constantinople by chemists who studied the early sciences. Accounts say placing water on the fire only spread it extra extensively, top quite a few historians to think it was some kind of oil.

Although Greek fire gave the Byzantines a frightening weapon, they fell given that they have been surrounded on all sides, and at some point just ran out of population. This Greek fire was employed against barbarians, Muslim invaders, and the Rus--not to mention the Venetians Whilst the Fourth Crusade decided to sack Constantinople as an alternative of continuing on.

Every person knew to worry Greek fire, and it possibly had the identical impact that a properly hidden sniper has on enemy forces in contemporary instances.

The leading down side was that Greek fire was very tough to manage, and it would typically accidentally set Byzantine ships ablaze, and an occasional accident might outcome in enormous casualties in their own armies.

The effectiveness of Greek fire was clear, but even so it had its own limitations. For instance, due to the fact of its quick variety it was far additional effective as a weapon in narrow straights or canals than in the open seas exactly where there was area to maneuver.

From what we know, what ever the components had been, they had been heated in a cauldron, and then pumped out of the ship in a fiery stream. Some degree of this was adapted for city use, and utilised in early "grenade" like type: terrifying cavalry and soldiers alike.

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