Greek fire
The supremacy of the byzantine navy was undoubtedly due
to the existence of greek fire, also known as "see fire" or "Median
fire", which was the more refined version of martial incendiary materials
existed until then. Ever since the antiquity many flammable materials had been
used against the enemy. But the element that made the greek fire unique, making
it thus a deadly weapon, was the fact that it didn't extinguished when it came
in contact with water.
The Greek-Syrian architect Callinicos is considered to
be the inventor of the greek fire. With this he equipped the ships that successfully
defended Constantinople against the Arabs in 717-718. Callinicos' contribution probably
lies to the optimization of the way the fire was thrown. It's composition
remains a mystery even to this day, since both the ingredients and the method
of preparation were a state secret. The fear of anathema and the punishments
that awaited whoever revealed the secret formula were great. Presumably, the
greek fire was a mixture of naphtha and sulfur, while components such as lime,
resin and other combustible material
enhanced its possibility of ignition. Natural sources of naphtha could be found
in the area between the Caspian and Black Sea, and in Arabia.
The Arabs, just like the Byzantines, had also
discovered and successfully used incendiary mixtures using as main ingredients
naphtha and liquid tar, that did not put out with water, only sand. The
continuous contact between the two countries, combined with the competitions and
spying, makes rather unlikely the existence of "secret" weapons, like
greek fire.
The liquid fire was kept within oblong clay or metal
vessels, called "sifones". They were thrown through special machines
found on the prows of ships. These machines functioned rather like crossbows,
ie large wood constructions with a mechanism similar to that of the arc that
threw stones or arrows. There were also "cheirosifones" who may have
been small clay or metal pots filled with greek fire, which would be thrown
against the enemies· their function would be similar to that of the current
grenades.
The greek fire was mainly used in naval battles. Its main success was that it brought confusion and
panic in the hostile fleets, as it made them flee because of the fire and the
bad effect that it had on the morale of the ship crews. The greek fire was in use by the
Byzantines mainly up to the 13th century.
Glossary (1)
naphtha:
volatile flammable liquid resulting from the distillation of crude oil, with a thermodynamic value between that of gasoline and kerosene.
Information Texts (2)
Callinicos:
Greek architect who
is considered the inventor of liquid fire. Born in the first quarter of the 7th
century in Heliopolis
in Egypt,
he studied physics, philosophy and engineering at the School of Nisibis,
under Syrian Nestorian monks. There Callinicos learned and principles of Greek
chemistry and alchemy, sciences which led to the discovery of many chemical
compounds and drugs in addition to researching ways of converting metals into
gold. Experimenting with naphtha, oil and their distillates, as well as with
resin from evergreen trees such as pine, cypress and cedar, Callinicos used a
relevant text by Proclus to produce liquid fire. He passed on the secret of how
to manufacture and use it to the Byzantines, when he sought asylum in Constantinople to escape the Arab occupation in 688.
The city:
Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine
Empire, was built on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the
triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn,
the Bosporus and the Sea
of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade
routes linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople
in 330 AD as a city to rival Rome
in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of
space and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new
strong walls that protected Constantinople
until the end of the Byzantine Empire.
The
city was laid out after Rome.
A main road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden
Gate. On this road was the Forum, a circular plaza with a statue
of Constantine
mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings. Theodosius I and Arcadius later
built more forums decorated with their own statues.
Following
the Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople
with magnificent edifices, palaces, baths and public buildings. This time also
saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom), the church which served
as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine period.
During
the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced
major problems that threw it into disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in
674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural disasters (a powerful,
destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited building
activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on
strengthening the city's fortifications.
With
the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the
9th to the 11th century, Constantinople became
the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were
Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as
Jews, Armenians, Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia. Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with
an emphasis on establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing
homes, orphanages and schools. Higher education flourished, thanks to the care
of the state and the emergence of important scholars. This renaissance lasted
until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor management set
in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the borders.
The
Crusaders left Constantinople entirely
unscathed when first passing through, but in the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the
Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those inhabitants they
did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael
VIII Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved
unable to restore the city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it
was, the empire was incapable of checking the advance of the Ottomans, and in
1453 Constantinople finally fell into their
hands.
The fall signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual
tradition remained significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions
of Crete and the Peloponnese,
as well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West.
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