Greek fire

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY – On 1st September, 717 AD, the Muslim armada with 1,800 ships was defeated by the Byzantine navy through the use of Greek fire in the Siege of Constantinople. Greek fire, or sea fire, as it was often called, was said to be the secret weapon of the Byzantine Empire. According to the historian Theophanes, it was invented during the 6th century AD by the Greek architect Kallinikos, a former resident of Heliopolis who was residing in Baalbeck. It is described as a liquid chemical mixture that could be ignited and then sprayed or catapulted onto enemy ships. Its effects were devastating because this fluid could not be extinguished with water. In fact, it was said to be able to burn under water. It would cling to all materials and burn the flesh off the body of a man in seconds in a manner very similar to modern day phosphorus weapons. The formula was kept so secret that no one today knows how it was made, nor have scientists been able to recreate it using the ingredients available at the time.