A Plausible Explanation For The Mystery of Greek Fire
Answering an age old question
Greek Fire has been one of the most enduring mysteries in history. It features on almost every one of the exhaustive lists of unexplainable things from the past. Greek Fire was a weapon used in the Byzantine Empire. It featured heavily on navy ships and was especially used by Greek sailors, hence the name. The consistency is speculated to have been like napalm. A sticky liquid would burst out and consume an enemy ship in flames that could not be doused with water. It sounds like an especially terrifying weapon and one that few people in the Medieval world understood or wanted to face.
But what exactly was Greek Fire? Many historians can’t agree. On the one hand, Greek Fire feels exceedingly modern. It was unique to a time and place, and it was not replicated after the Byzantine Empire started to decline. On the other hand, flammable liquid is not exactly a new technology. Burning oil and boiling water were used as a defensive weapons for centuries during this time.
What made Greek Fire so intriguing is the fact that detailed records of it are scarce. It allegedly roared like thunder and smoked like fire. It was sticky, shootable, and unable to be doused. This was something far more advanced and different than boiling animal fat.
