Greek fire

Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire, especially at sea. Byzantine forces projected it through siphons, and it could continue burning on water.

Siphon: A tube or pipe that conveys liquid from one place to another, often using pressure or gravity. Byzantine crews projected Greek fire through ship-mounted siphons.
Byzantine Empire: The eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, centered on Constantinople and lasting until 1453. Greek fire was a closely guarded weapon of the empire's armed forces.
Byzantine navy: The naval forces maintained by the Byzantine Empire to defend its coasts and control sea routes. Its ships and specialist crews deployed Greek fire in battle.
Byzantine military technology: The weapons, engineering, and practices used by Byzantine armies and fleets. Greek fire belonged to a wider system of specialized military knowledge.
Incendiary weapon: A weapon designed to start fires or cause harm through intense heat and burning materials. Greek fire belongs to this broader class of weapons.
Kallinikos of Heliopolis: A seventh-century engineer traditionally credited with bringing Greek fire to the Byzantine Empire. Later accounts associate him with the weapon's introduction, though details remain uncertain.
Dromon: A fast Byzantine warship used from late antiquity through the medieval period. Dromons could carry siphons and crews trained to operate them.
De administrando imperio: A tenth-century Byzantine handbook of political and military advice attributed to Emperor Constantine VII. Its account of Greek fire emphasizes secrecy and the weapon's imperial control.
Napalm: A flammable gel used in incendiary weapons that adheres to surfaces and burns intensely. Like Greek fire, it sticks and burns, but its composition and history are distinct.
Siege of Constantinople (674–678): A prolonged Arab siege of Constantinople during which Byzantine naval forces used Greek fire. This early siege is among the weapon's most famous reported uses.

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