In various books on the historical theme, you can find references to the mysterious "Greek fire" (not to be confused with the fire of the Olympic Games!). From the context of the books it is clear that we are talking about a certain combustible mixture, whose effect on possible enemies was instantaneous and destructive.
The Byzantine Empire became the heir to the ancient culture of Greece and Rome. She also inherited something in the scientific and technical fields. It is known from chronicles and other sources that it was the "Greek fire" that helped to win unconditional victories in most of the bloody battles. And this despite the fact that only a few initiates knew about the composition and secret of preparing such a super-weapon, and they knew how to keep their mouths shut. Nobody was lucky to reveal the secret. Even the Kiev princes, who were related to the Byzantine emperors, did not succeed in this either.
Let's turn to the testimonies of historians. As you know, in ancient times, wood remained the main building material for a long time. Of course, ships were also built from it. The susceptibility of wood, especially dry or tarred wood, to fire is well known. Sculptural images of fire-breathing dragons are known. The fire they spewed was supplied, most likely, through special copper pipes. The very composition of the mixture was sticky and sticky, so the death-bearing mass could not be shaken off just like that. Ships, siege engines, houses, the clothes of warriors - nothing could hide from the fire throwers. Terror and panic in the ranks of the attackers were guaranteed. This is why, in many ways, Byzantium turned out to be the most durable empire that ever existed.
In 673, Constantinople was besieged by the Arabs who professed Islam. They were led by the Caliph Muawiyi. It seemed that the capital was doomed. If not for the mechanic Kallinikos of Heliopolis. It was he who was the savior, having passed the recipe for the very "Greek fire" to the Emperor Constantine. As a result, the attack of the Arabs was successfully repelled, culminating in their complete defeat and expulsion from the country. The emperor was triumphant. Kallinikos's recipe was henceforth strictly classified.
Subsequent Byzantine emperors, with all the difference in political course, sought to maintain the tradition of keeping secrets. Leo VI The philosopher ordered that it be prepared only in special laboratories, reliably hidden from prying eyes. And according to the decree of Constantine VII Porphyrogenic, the one who would ever dare to transfer, let alone sell, the secret of the “Greek fire” to the Gentiles was condemned in absentia and in advance.
In addition to land battles, the history of Byzantium knew many naval battles. At sea, the importance of "Greek fire" was generally difficult to overestimate. He effectively helped to gain the upper hand over the many times superior enemy forces. The Byzantines began to place the so-called "fighting dragons" in the bow of the ships. In 717, an entire Muslim fleet of 1,800 ships was burned. In the treatise "Tactics", dedicated to the art of military affairs and belonging to the pen of Emperor Leo VI, it is mentioned that one of the rowers must necessarily master the skill of a "pipe maker", that is, be able to handle the "battle dragon".
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If a battle was planned on land, dragons were installed on wheels. The jets of flame they throw out could not be extinguished in the traditional way - with the help of water. On the contrary, water only aggravated the situation, the combustion process intensified. Only vinegar could help, but where could one get it in such quantities? The warriors most often faced painful death from terrible burns. The only thing that remained was to show miracles of resourcefulness and try to dodge the hellish mixture. Historians have not been able to fully figure out how the fire was fed into the combat installations. It is possible that the air was forced there with the help of bellows or pumps, and already those, under pressure, "spit out" stream after stream into the enemy ranks, sowing panic and putting them to flight. Indirect evidence suggests that in addition to fiery jets, there was also a frightening roar. It could be created by the energy of combustible gases.
In the end, there was someone who decided to betray the secret of the "Greek fire" to the whole world. It turned out to be Alexei III Angel, deprived of the imperial throne. He took refuge in Ionia, with the sultan who ruled there, and in exchange for his patronage and protection, he revealed a secret kept for many centuries. There is scant information that the Arabs successfully defended themselves with the help of the Byzantine gift from the crusaders, and our ancestors, the Slavs, did not hesitate to use it in the struggle against the Volga-Kama Bulgaria. One of the most recent facts of the use of "Greek fire" was the story of the siege and capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman soldiers commanded by Mehmed II. Further, as they say, traces of the mysterious weapon are lost. Moreover, it is replaced by gunpowder, and then - guns, rifles and pistols.
Despite the fact that the secret became clear, the widest spread of the "Greek fire" throughout the world did not happen. After all, only the initiates were engaged in it, and with their departure the chain was again interrupted. The ingredients of the fire also remained unknown. According to the assumptions, the sap of trees of the Styrax family could be used, from which oil and resin were obtained.
In the 16th century, the French chemist Dupre was on the verge of solving the mystery, but died under strange circumstances. And King Louis XVI ordered to destroy all his papers. Perhaps a variant of the "Greek fire" was napalm, used by the Americans in Vietnam and South Korea. However, the assumptions have remained so. The puzzle is still waiting to be solved. But will it wait?