Greek Fire: The Byzantines' Secret Weapon

The History of Greece: Philosophy, Empire, and Endless Reinvention — Fexingo History · May 2, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In this episode of The History of Greece: Philosophy, Empire, and Endless Reinvention, Lucas and Luna dive into the mysterious incendiary weapon known as Greek fire. Used by the Byzantine Empire from the 7th century onward, this napalm-like substance helped defend Constantinople from Arab sieges and gave the Byzantines a decisive naval advantage. Lucas explains the historical context—the Umayyad sieges of 674–678 and 717–718—and walks through the chemical debates over its composition: was it petroleum-based with quicklime, or included saltpeter? He discusses the legendary siphon projectors…