Greek fire and other lost inventions explained
The gist
Byzantine forces sprayed Greek fire from siphons at enemy ships, burning fleets on water.
Its recipe was a lost state secret, one of several ancient designs still unexplained.
How it unfolded
- 7th centuryByzantine forces began using Greek fire, a liquid incendiary sprayed from siphons at enemy ships, which burned on water and helped defend Constantinople against Arab fleets.
- 1901Sponge divers recovered the corroded bronze Antikythera Mechanism from a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera; it dates to roughly 2,000 years ago and contains at least 30 interlocking gears.
- 1930sArchaeologists found a clay jar near Baghdad containing a copper cylinder and an iron rod, roughly 2,000 years old, later called the Baghdad Battery.
Key terms
- Byzantine
- Relating to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople.
- Greek fire
- An incendiary naval weapon used by the Byzantine Empire whose recipe is now lost.
- Antikythera Mechanism
- An ancient Greek bronze geared device, the oldest known analogue computer, used to predict astronomical positions.
Source: Wikipedia