Greek fire
E76419
Greek fire was a notorious incendiary weapon of the medieval Byzantine navy, capable of burning even on water and used to devastating effect in naval warfare.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Byzantine weapon
ⓘ
incendiary weapon ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Second Arab siege of Constantinople (717–718)
ⓘ
surface form:
defense of Constantinople
|
| culturalReputation |
legendary Byzantine secret weapon
ⓘ
terrifying weapon ⓘ |
| deliveryMethod |
earthenware pots
ⓘ
grenade-like containers ⓘ handheld projector ⓘ ship-mounted projector ⓘ siphon ⓘ |
| developedFor | naval defense ⓘ |
| developedIn | Byzantine Empire ⓘ |
| distinguishedBy | ability to burn on water ⓘ |
| distinguishedFrom | ordinary fire ⓘ |
| extinguishingMethod |
covered with sand
ⓘ
covered with urine ⓘ covered with vinegar ⓘ |
| firstMajorUse | 7th century ⓘ |
| formulaStatus | lost ⓘ |
| historicalImpact |
contributed to Byzantine naval superiority
ⓘ
helped Byzantines repel sieges ⓘ |
| keyProperty |
adhered to targets
ⓘ
continued burning on water surfaces ⓘ ignited on contact or during projection ⓘ |
| notableCharacteristic |
burned on water
ⓘ
difficult to extinguish ⓘ highly flammable ⓘ projected as a liquid flame ⓘ |
| originLanguageName |
Greek: πῦρ θαλάσσιον (sea fire)
ⓘ
Greek: πῦρ ῥωμαϊκόν (Roman fire) ⓘ |
| possibleComponent |
naphtha
ⓘ
petroleum ⓘ pitch ⓘ resin ⓘ sulfur ⓘ |
| primaryTheater | Eastern Mediterranean ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
incendiary mixtures
ⓘ
napalm ⓘ |
| secrecy | state secret of the Byzantine Empire ⓘ |
| timePeriod | Middle Ages ⓘ |
| usedAgainst |
Arab fleets
ⓘ
enemy ships ⓘ siege targets ⓘ |
| usedBy |
Byzantine Empire
ⓘ
Byzantine navy ⓘ |
| usedIn | naval warfare ⓘ |
| weaponType | chemical weapon in pre-modern sense ⓘ |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Constantine IV