Modern Greek fire for flamethrowers. Greek fire: invention and application. Greek fire - effectiveness and use in combat

History keeps many cases of hiding military secrets. An example of this is the famous "Greek fire", the likely forerunner of the modern flamethrower. The Greeks guarded the secret of their weapons for five centuries, until it was lost forever.

So who and when used a flamethrower for the first time in history? What is this strange weapon - "Greek fire", which still haunts historians? Some researchers take the fact of reports about him as an indisputable truth, while others, despite the testimony of sources, treat them with distrust.

The first use of incendiary weapons occurred during the Battle of Delia in 424 BC. In this battle, the Theban commander Pagonda defeated the main Athenian army under the leadership of Hippocrates, who fell on the battlefield. Then the "incendiary weapon" was a hollow log, and the flammable liquid was a mixture of crude oil, sulfur and oil.

During the Peloponnesian War between the Athenian Maritime Union and the Peloponnesian Union, led by Sparta, the Spartans burned sulfur and tar under the walls of Plateia, wanting to force the besieged city to surrender. This event is described by Thucydides, who himself was a participant in the war, but for the unsuccessful command of a squadron of the Athenian fleet was exiled.

However, a kind of flamethrower was invented much later. But it was not a combustible metal, but a pure flame interspersed with sparks and coals. Fuel, presumably charcoal, was poured into the brazier, then air was injected with the help of bellows, causing a flame that burst out of the vent with a deafening and terrible roar. Of course, such a weapon was not long-range.

Only with the appearance of the mysterious "Greek fire" could one speak of the creation of a formidable and merciless weapon.

The closest harbingers of "Greek fire" are considered to be "braziers" used on Roman ships, with the help of which the Romans could break through the formation of ships of the enemy fleet. These "braziers" were ordinary buckets, into which flammable liquid was poured and set on fire immediately before the battle. The "brazier" was suspended at the end of a long boat hook and carried five to seven meters ahead along the course of the ship, which made it possible to empty a bucket of flammable liquid onto the deck of an enemy ship before it could ram a Roman ship.

There were also siphons, invented around 300 BC. by a certain Greek from Alexandria - a hand weapon, which was a pipe filled with oil. The oil was set on fire, and it could be poured over an enemy ship. It is believed that later siphons were made of bronze (according to other sources - from copper), but how exactly they threw the combustible composition is unknown ...

And yet the true "Greek fire" - if such existed at all! - appeared only in the Middle Ages. The origin of this weapon is still unknown, but it is assumed that it was invented by a certain Syrian architect and engineer Kallinik, a refugee from Maalbek. Byzantine sources even indicate the exact date of the invention of "Greek fire": 673 AD. (according to other sources, it was 626, when the Romans used fire against the Persians and Avars, who were besieging Constantinople with united forces). "Liquid fire" erupted from the siphons, and the combustible mixture burned even on the surface of the water. The fire was extinguished only with sand. This sight caused horror and surprise to the enemy. One of the eyewitnesses wrote that the combustible mixture was applied to a metal spear launched by a giant sling. It flew with the speed of lightning and with a thunderous crash and looked like a dragon with a pig's head. When the projectile reached its target, an explosion occurred and a cloud of acrid black smoke rose, after which a flame appeared, spreading in all directions; if they tried to extinguish the flame with water, it flared up with renewed vigor.

At first, "Greek fire" - or "grijois" - was used only by the Romans (Byzantines), and only in naval battles. If the testimony is to be believed, Greek fire was the ultimate weapon in naval battles, as it was the crowded fleets of wooden ships that were an excellent target for incendiary mixtures. Both Greek and Arab sources unanimously claim that the effect of the "Greek fire" was truly overwhelming. The historian Nikita Choniates writes about "closed pots where fire sleeps, which suddenly bursts into lightning and sets fire to everything it reaches."

The exact recipe for the combustible mixture remains a mystery to this day. Substances such as oil, various oils, flammable resins, sulfur, asphalt and a certain "secret ingredient" are usually named. Presumably, it was a mixture of quicklime and sulfur, which ignites on contact with water, and some viscous media like oil or asphalt.

For the first time, pipes with "Greek fire" were installed and tested on dromons - ships of the fleet of the Byzantine Empire, and then became the main weapon of all classes of Byzantine ships.

In the late 660s AD, the Arab fleet repeatedly approached Constantinople. However, the besieged, led by the energetic Emperor Constantine IV, repulsed all attacks, and the Arab fleet was destroyed with the help of "Greek fire". The Byzantine historian Theophanes reports: “In the year 673 the overthrowers of Christ undertook a great campaign. They sailed and spent the winter in Cilicia. When Constantine IV learned about the approach of the Arabs, he prepared huge double-decked ships, equipped with Greek fire, and ships carrying siphons ... The Arabs were shocked ... They fled in great fear. "

In 717, the Arabs, led by the Caliph's brother, the Syrian governor Maslama, approached Constantinople and on August 15 made another attempt to take possession of Constantinople. On September 1, an Arab fleet of more than 1,800 ships occupied the entire space in front of the city. The Byzantines blocked the Golden Horn Bay with a chain on wooden floats, after which the fleet, led by Emperor Leo III, inflicted a heavy defeat on the enemy. His victory was largely facilitated by the "Greek fire". “The emperor prepared fire-carrying siphons and placed them aboard one- and two-deck ships, and then sent them against the two fleets. Thanks to God's help and through the intercession of His Most Holy Mother, the enemy was utterly defeated. "

The same thing happened with the Arabs in 739, 780, and 789. In 764 the Bulgarians fell victim to the fire ...

There is evidence that the Romans used the "Greek fire" against the Russians.

In 941, with the help of their secret weapons, they defeated the fleet of Prince Igor, who was marching on Constantinople (Constantinople). The Romans, warned by the Bulgarians, sent a fleet to meet the formidable Rus under the leadership of Caruas, Theophanes and Vardus Fock. In the ensuing naval battle, the Russian fleet was destroyed. Not least thanks to the "Greek living fire". It was impossible to extinguish the ships, and the Russian soldiers, fleeing the deadly fire, in "armor" jumped into the sea and went like a stone to the bottom. The oncoming storm completed the rout of the Russian fleet.

Almost a hundred years passed when the eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir, in 1043 with the fleet unexpectedly approached the walls of Constantinople. Russian ships lined up in one line in the Golden Horn Bay, where a battle took place a few days later. According to Carlo Botta, the Russians were defeated "by the coming autumn storms, Greek fire and the experience of the Byzantines in naval affairs."

However, in another naval battle of the same Vladimir Yaroslavich with the Roman fleet, when the prince was returning home, the "Greek fire" did not manifest itself in any way. The Russians returned to Kiev without hindrance. It is also not entirely clear why fire was not used during the famous successful campaign against Byzantium by the Kiev prince Oleg in 907 ... And why did Byzantium not use such a powerful means against its other opponents?

According to the statements of a number of Russian and Western European historians, the Mongol-Tatars also used the "Greek fire". However, the primary sources practically nowhere say about the effectiveness of its use!

The "live fire" did not show itself at all during Batu's campaigns against Russia. The capture of the largest cities - the princely capitals - took from three days to a week, and such a small town like Kozelsk, which could be burned with the same "living fire" without much trouble, stood firmly against the entire Batu horde for seven weeks. Batu's victorious invasion of Western Europe also managed without the use of "live fire". The famous Janibek stormed Kafa (modern Feodosia) for more than a year to no avail ...

The capture and destruction of Moscow by Tokhtamysh is described in sufficient detail, but the author of The Tale does not mention any "miracle weapons" among the invaders. The famous Asian commander Timur (Tamerlane) also did well without the wonderful "Greek fire".

At the time of the Crusades, "Greek fire" was already widely known both in the West and in the East, and was used not only in sea, but also in land battles.

In general, combustible materials were used in the West, as well as in the East, and a widespread method of fighting enemy throwing machines was setting them on fire with a burning tow. Even on the carpet of Bayeux, one can see primitive incendiary means, which are torches at the end of long peaks, designed to set fire to siege towers and weapons, almost always made of wood. During the siege of Jerusalem, according to the chroniclers, a real stream of combustible materials fell on the besiegers: "The townspeople threw fire into the towers in a dense mass, there were many burning arrows, wood chips, pots of sulfur, oil and tar, and many other things that support the fire."

But the "Greek fire" was more terrible than tar or embers. There is information about this wonderful "weapon of mass destruction" in the medieval Spanish chronicles. They are recorded from the words of the participants in the campaign of Louis IX to the holy land.

In Arabia and in the countries of the Middle East, there were many oil sources, so the Arabs could easily use oil, because its reserves were simply inexhaustible. During the attack of the Franco-Byzantines on Egypt in 1168, the Muslims kept twenty thousand pots of oil at the gates of Cairo and then launched ten thousand burning stones to set fire to the city and prevent the Franks from entering it.

The famous Saladin in the same way was forced to set fire to his Nubian camp in order to suppress the revolt of his black guards, and indeed, when the rebels saw their parking lot, where their property, wives and children were located, on fire, they fled in panic.

One witness described the effect of the siege of Damietta in November 1219 by “the tablecloths of Greek fire”: “Greek fire, flowing like a river from the river tower and from the city, sowed terror; but with the help of vinegar, sand and other materials they extinguished it, coming to the aid of those who became its victims. "

Over time, the crusaders learned to defend themselves against "living fire"; they covered siege weapons with the skins of freshly harvested animals and began to extinguish the fire not with water, but with vinegar, sand or talc, which the Arabs have long used to protect themselves from this fire.

Along with the evidence of terrible weapons in the history of "Greek fire" there are many blank spots and simply inexplicable situations.

Here is the first paradox: as the chronicler Robert de Clari pointed out in his work "The Conquest of Constantinople", created at the beginning of the 13th century, the crusaders themselves in 1204 - so they already knew its secret? - tried to use "Greek fire" during the siege of Constantinople. However, the wooden towers of the Constantinople walls were protected by skins dipped in water, so the fire did not help the knights. And why the "live fire" was not used by the Romans, who knew its secrets and defended the city? This remains a mystery. One way or another, but the crusaders, blocking Constantinople from sea and land, took it with a decisive assault, losing only one knight.

The same thing happened during the agony of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople. Even in the last battles for the capital, it did not come to the use of "miracle weapons" ...

After all, if there was such an effective weapon that brought fear and terror to opponents, why did it not later play a significant role in battles? Because his secret was lost?

It is worth pondering the following question: is it possible to maintain a monopoly on any type of weapons or military equipment after its action has been clearly demonstrated on the battlefield? As the experience of wars shows, no. It turns out that this formidable weapon was used only in those campaigns when, even without it, there were already real prerequisites for achieving victory - the small number of enemy troops, the indecisive nature of his actions, bad weather conditions, and the like. And when meeting a strong enemy, the army, which possessed a "miracle weapon", suddenly found itself on the verge of death and for some reason did not use the terrible weapon. The version about the loss of the recipe for "live fire" is highly doubtful. The Byzantine Empire, like any other state of the Middle Ages, did not know peaceful respites ...

So did "Greek fire" exist at all?

The question remains open. In fact, flamethrowers began to be used in hostilities only at the beginning of the 20th century, or rather, during the First World War, and by all the belligerent parties.

The ancient Greeks knew a highly flammable composition that could not be extinguished with water. "A mixture of lighted resin, sulfur, tow, incense and sawdust of a resinous tree is used to burn enemy ships," wrote Aeneas Tactic in his work "On the Art of the Commander" in 350 BC. In 424 BC, a certain combustible substance was used in the land battle at Delia: the Greeks from a hollow log sprayed fire towards the enemy. Unfortunately, like many discoveries of Antiquity, the secrets of this weapon were lost, and the liquid unquenchable fire had to be reinvented.

This was done in 673 by Kallinikos, or Kallinikos, a resident of Heliopolis captured by the Arabs on the territory of modern Lebanon. This mechanic fled to Byzantium and offered his services and his invention to Emperor Constantine IV. The historian Theophanes wrote that the vessels with the mixture invented by Callinicos were thrown by catapults at the Arabs during the siege of Constantinople. The liquid, in contact with the air, flared up, and no one could extinguish the fire. The Arabs fled in terror from the weapon called "Greek fire".

Greek fire siphon on a mobile siege tower. (Pinterest)

Perhaps Kallinikos also invented a device for throwing fire, called a siphon, or siphonophore. These dragon-painted copper pipes were installed on the high decks of the dromons. Under the influence of compressed air from the bellows, they threw a stream of fire into enemy ships with an eerie roar. The range of these flamethrowers did not exceed thirty meters, but for several centuries the enemy ships were afraid to approach the Byzantine battleships. The handling of Greek fire required extreme caution. The chronicles mention many cases when the Byzantines themselves died in an inextinguishable flame due to broken vessels with a secret mixture.

Armed with Greek fire, Byzantium became the ruler of the seas. In 722, a major victory was won over the Arabs. In 941, an inextinguishable flame drove away the boats of the Russian prince Igor Rurikovich from Constantinople. The secret weapon did not lose its significance two centuries later, when it was used against Venetian ships with the participants of the fourth crusade on board.

It is not surprising that the secret of making Greek fire was strictly guarded by the Byzantine emperors. Les the Philosopher ordered that the mixture be made only in secret laboratories under increased guard. Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus wrote in his instructions to his heir: “You must most of all care about the Greek fire ... and if anyone dares to ask you for it, as we have often asked ourselves, then reject these requests and answer that the fire was opened by the Angel to Constantine, the first to the emperor of Christians. The great emperor, as a warning to his heirs, ordered to carve a curse in the temple on the throne on those who dare to transfer this discovery to foreigners ... ”.

Scary stories could not force the competitors of Byzantium to stop trying to reveal the secret. In 1193 the Arab Saladan wrote: "Greek fire is" kerosene "(petroleum), sulfur, resin and tar." The recipe of the alchemist Vincetius (XIII century) is more detailed and exotic: “To get Greek fire, you need to take an equal amount of molten sulfur, tar, one fourth of opopanax (vegetable juice) and pigeon droppings; all this, well dried, dissolve in turpentine or sulfuric acid, then place in a strong closed glass vessel and heat for fifteen days in an oven. After that, distill the contents of the vessel like wine alcohol and store ready-made. "

However, the secret of the Greek fire became known not because of scientific research, but because of a banal betrayal. In 1210, Emperor Alexei III the Angel lost his throne and went over to the Sultan of Kony. He caressed the defector and made him the commander of the army. Not surprisingly, just eight years later, crusader Oliver L'Ecolator testified that the Arabs used Greek fire against the Crusaders during the siege of Damieta.

Alexey III Angel. (Pinterest)

Soon Greek fire ceased to be only Greek. The secret of its manufacture has become known to different peoples. The French historian Jean de Joinville, a participant of the Seventh Crusade, was personally under fire during the assault by the Saracens of the Crusader's fortifications: “The nature of the Greek fire is as follows: its shell is huge, like a vessel for vinegar, and the tail, trailing behind, looks like a giant spear. Its flight was accompanied by a terrible noise, like the thunder of heaven. Greek fire in the air was like a dragon flying in the sky. Such a bright light emanated from him that the sun seemed to rise over the camp. The reason for this was the enormous fiery mass and brilliance contained in it. "

Russian chronicles mention that the people of Vladimir and Novgorod, with the help of some kind of fire, the enemy fortresses "lit up and byst the storm and the smoke will be great for these." The unquenchable flame was used by the Polovtsians, Turks and Tamerlane's troops. Greek fire ceased to be a secret weapon and lost its strategic importance. In the XIV century, he is hardly mentioned in the annals and chronicles. The last time Greek fire was used as a weapon was in 1453 during the capture of Constantinople. The historian Francis wrote that both the Turks besieging the city and the defending Byzantines threw him at each other. At the same time, cannons were also used on both sides, firing with ordinary gunpowder. It was much more practical and safer than a capricious liquid and quickly supplanted the Greek fire in military affairs.

Juan de Joinville. (Pinterest)

Only scientists have not lost interest in the self-igniting composition. In search of a recipe, they carefully studied the Byzantine chronicles. An entry made by Princess Anne Comnena was discovered, stating that the composition of the fire was only sulfur, resin and tree sap. Apparently, despite her noble birth, Anna was not privy to a state secret, and her recipe gave little to scientists. In January 1759, the French chemist and artillery commissar André Dupre announced that, after much research, he had discovered the secret of Greek fire. At Le Havre, with a great crowd of people and in the presence of the king, tests were carried out. The catapult threw a pot of tarry liquid at the sloop anchored in the sea, which instantly burst into flames. The amazed Louis XV ordered to buy from Dupre all the papers concerning his discovery, and to destroy them, hoping in this way to hide the traces of dangerous weapons. Soon Dupre himself died under unexplained circumstances. The recipe for Greek fire was lost again.

Disputes over the composition of medieval weapons continued into the 20th century. In 1937, the German chemist Stetbacher wrote in his book Gunpowder and Explosives that Greek fire consisted of "sulfur, salt, tar, asphalt and burnt lime." In 1960, the Englishman Partington, in his voluminous work "The History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder," suggested that the Byzantines' secret weapons included light fractions of oil distillation, tar and sulfur. Fierce disputes between him and his French colleagues were caused by the possible presence of saltpeter in the composition of the fire. Partington's opponents argued the presence of saltpeter by the fact that according to the testimony of the Arab chroniclers, the Greek fire could only be extinguished with the help of vinegar.

Today, the most likely version is the following composition of Greek fire: the crude product of the light fraction of the distillation of oil, various resins, vegetable oils and, possibly, saltpeter or quicklime. This recipe vaguely resembles a primitive version of modern napalm and flamethrower charges. So the current flamethrowers, Molotov cocktail throwers and the characters of the Game of Thrones, constantly throwing fireballs at each other, can consider the medieval inventor Kallinikos as their progenitor.

But back in 424 BC. NS. In the land battle of Delia, ancient Greek warriors from a hollow log released a kind of incendiary mixture of crude oil, sulfur and oil. Actually "Greek fire" was invented in the city by the engineer and architect Kallinikos from the Syrian conquered Heliopolis (modern Baalbek in Lebanon), who, apparently, designed a special throwing device - "siphon" - for throwing incendiary mixture. Kallinikos fled to Byzantium and there offered his services to Emperor Constantine IV in the struggle against the Arabs.

The installation with Greek fire was a copper pipe - a siphon through which a liquid mixture was erupted with a roar. The buoyancy force was compressed air, or bellows like blacksmiths.

Presumably, the maximum range of the siphons was 25-30 m, so initially Greek fire was used only in the navy, where it posed a terrible threat to the slow and clumsy wooden ships of that time. In addition, according to the testimony of contemporaries, the Greek fire could not be extinguished by anything, since it continued to burn even on the surface of the water. For the first time, Greek fire siphons were installed on Byzantine dromons during the Battle of Cilicia. The historian Theophanes wrote about her:

If on land the troops of the Byzantines were defeated by the Arabs, then at sea the "Greek fire" gave superiority to the Byzantine fleet over the enemy. Thanks to him, a major naval victory over the Arabs was won in 718. In 941, the Byzantines with the help of "Greek fire" defeated the fleet of Prince Igor Rurikovich that had approached Constantinople. Greek fire was used against the Venetians during the Fourth Crusade (1202-). The secret of preparing "Greek fire", also called "fire of Kallinikos", was kept in strict secrecy, but after the conquest of Constantinople, the recipe for making Greek fire was lost. It is known that oil for fire has been produced on the Taman Peninsula for centuries. In 1106, Greek fire was used against the Normans during the siege of Durazzo (Dyrrhachia). In the XII century, the Greek fire was already known to the British, since the Angles had long served in Byzantium in the so-called. "Varangian guard".

"Greek fire" was also used in the siege of fortresses. Some researchers, based on the analysis of Russian chronicles, conclude that the Greek fire was familiar to the Russians and Polovtsians. Also, according to some reports, the Greek fire was in service with the army of Tamerlane. The last mention of the use of Greek fire refers to the siege of Constantinople in 1453 by Mohammed II: despite the extensive development of artillery by that time among the Turks, with the help of Greek fire, the Byzantine garrison burned Turkish ships in the Golden Horn Bay.

After the start of the massive use of gunpowder-based firearms, "Greek fire" lost its military significance, its recipe was lost at the end of the 16th century.

Manufacturing

A siege machine throws barrels of Greek fire into the castle, 13th century. Engraving from Harper's Magazine, 1869.

The exact composition of Greek fire is unknown, as the names of the substances are not always accurately identified in historical documents. So, in Russian translations-descriptions, the word "sulfur" could mean any combustible substance, including fat. The most likely ingredients were quicklime, sulfur, and crude oil or asphalt. Also, the composition could include calcium phosphide, which, upon contact with water, releases phosphine gas, which ignites spontaneously in air.

In the Book of Fire by Marco Greco, the following composition of Greek fire is given: “1 part of rosin, 1 part of sulfur, 6 parts of nitrate in finely ground form, dissolve in linseed or laurel oil, then put in a pipe or in a wooden trunk and light. The charge immediately flies in any direction and destroys everything with fire. " It should be noted that this composition only served to eject a fiery mixture in which an "unknown ingredient" was used.

Greek fire was more of a psychological weapon: fearing it, enemy ships tried to keep their distance from the ships of the Byzantines. A siphon with Greek fire was installed, as a rule, on the bow or stern of the ship. Sometimes the fiery mixture was thrown onto enemy ships in barrels: there are mentions that Byzantine ships often caught fire as a result of careless handling of Greek fire.

Search for the secret of Greek fire

Many alchemists and, later, scientists worked on the disclosure of the secret components of the mixture. One such explorer was the Frenchman Dupre, who in 1758 announced that he had discovered the secret of Greek fire. Tests were carried out near Le Havre, as a result of which a wooden sloop was burned, which was at a great distance on the open sea. King Louis XV, impressed and frightened by the action of this weapon, bought all his papers from Dupre and destroyed them.

Eyewitness memories

The memoirs of Jean de Joinville, chronicler of the Seventh Crusade, describe the effects of Greek fire:

It happened one night when we were carrying the night watch on the tower; the Saracens brought a siege weapon called the perronel, which they had never done before, and loaded it with a sling with Greek fire. When the good knight Lord Walter Kurelsky, who was with us, saw these preparations, he said to us: “Gentlemen, we are in such trouble with you, which we have never experienced before. If they aim their fire at our towers and shelters, we will lose and burn alive. If we lose the fortifications that we were entrusted to guard, it will be the greatest shame - and only the Lord can save us from trouble. This is my opinion and my advice: every time they shoot fire at us, we must fall on our elbows and knees and pray to our Lord for salvation. "

As soon as the first shot rang out, we fell to our elbows and knees, exactly as he taught us; and their first shot went right past two towers, and crashed into the ground right into the moat in front of us. Our firefighters had already rushed to extinguish the flames, and the Saracens, unable to aim at them, fired into the clouds so that the flames fell on them.

This is the nature of Greek fire: its projectile is as huge as a vinegar jar, and its tail trailing behind is like a giant spear. Its flight was accompanied by a terrible noise, like the thunder of heaven. Greek fire in the air was like a dragon flying in the sky. Such a bright light emanated from him that the sun seemed to rise over the camp. The reason for this was the huge fiery mass and brilliance that it contained.

Three times that night they threw Greek fire [from the platform] at us, and four times they shot them at us with ballistae.

Literature

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
Ardashev A.N. Chapter 3. Greek fire is the unsolved mystery of the ages. // Flamethrower-incendiary weapon. Illustrated reference book. - Aginskoye, Balashikha: AST, Astrel, 2001 .-- 288 p. - (Military equipment). - 10 100 copies. - ISBN 5-17-008790-X

Links

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See what "Greek fire" is in other dictionaries:

Incendiary mixtures used by the Greeks for military purposes in the Middle Ages. Samoilov K.I. Marine dictionary. M. L .: State Naval Publishing House of the NKVMF of the USSR, 1941 Greek fire incendiary composition, used in 7 ... Marine dictionary

An incendiary mixture, probably of resin, oil, sulfur, nitrate, etc., used in the 7th - 15th centuries. in sea battles and during the siege of fortresses. Barrels and various vessels with an ignited mixture were tossed with the help of throwing machines and pipes to ships or to ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

An incendiary mixture, probably of resin, oil, sulfur, saltpeter, etc., used in the 7th-15th centuries. in sea battles and during the siege of fortresses. Barrels and various vessels with the ignited mixture were thrown with the help of throwing machines and pipes on ships or in ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Incendiary (a hint of the Greek fire of the Greeks, Arabs, which also lit in water, a kind of gunpowder, known from the 4th century BC) Cf. Nice appearance, cheerful disposition, and so on. all this together planted such sparks in Jeannie's chest that did not ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

"Greek Fire" - one of the most attractive and exciting mysteries of the Middle Ages. This mysterious weapon, with amazing effectiveness, was in service with Byzantium and for several centuries remained the monopoly of the mighty Mediterranean empire. As a number of sources suggest, it was the "Greek fire" that guaranteed the strategic advantage of the Byzantine fleet over the naval armada of all dangerous rivals of this Orthodox superpower of the Middle Ages.

The prototype of the Greek fire appeared supposedly in 190 BC. NS. while defending the island of Rhodes. But back in 424 BC. NS. In the land battle of Delia, ancient Greek warriors from a hollow log released a kind of incendiary mixture of crude oil, sulfur and oil. Actually "Greek fire" was invented in 673 by the engineer and architect Kallinikos from the Syrian Heliopolis conquered by the Arabs (modern Baalbek in Lebanon), who, apparently, designed a special throwing device - "siphon" - for throwing incendiary mixture. Kallinikos fled to Byzantium and there offered his services to Emperor Constantine IV in the struggle against the Arabs. And what the installation was like can be seen in the picture below. This is a reconstructed antique forced air flamethrower.

Antique flamethrower with forced air injection (reconstruction). 1 - mouth of the fire tube; 2 - brazier 3 - damper for deflecting the air stream; 4 - wheeled cart; 5 - a wooden pipe fastened with iron hoops for injecting an air stream; 6 - a board for servants; 7 - bellows; 8 - bellows handles

in the year 673 the overthrowers of Christ undertook a great campaign. They sailed and spent the winter in Cilicia. When Constantine IV learned about the approach of the Arabs, he prepared huge double-decked ships, equipped with Greek fire, and ships carrying siphons ... The Arabs were shocked ... They fled in great fear.

However, with the course of history, the recipe for this very fire was lost and today it is not possible to find out the exact composition. Many alchemists and, later, scientists worked on the disclosure of the secret components of the mixture. One such researcher was the Frenchman Dupre, who in 1758 announced that he had discovered the secret of Greek fire. Tests were carried out near Le Havre, as a result of which a wooden sloop was burned, which was at a great distance on the open sea. King Louis XV, impressed and frightened by the action of this weapon, bought all his papers from Dupre and destroyed them.

Popular site publications.

THE MYSTERY OF THE BYZANTINE FLAMMER

Only with the appearance of the mysterious "Greek fire" could one speak of the creation of a formidable and merciless weapon.

There were also siphons, invented around 300 BC. by a certain Greek from Alexandria - a hand weapon, which was a pipe filled with oil. The oil was set on fire, and it could be poured over an enemy ship. It is believed that later siphons were made of bronze (according to other sources - from copper), but how exactly they threw the combustible composition is unknown ...

And yet the true "Greek fire" - if there was one at all! - appeared only in the Middle Ages. The origin of this weapon is still unknown, but it is assumed that it was invented by a certain Syrian architect and engineer Kallinik, a refugee from Maalbek. Byzantine sources even indicate the exact date of the invention of "Greek fire": 673 AD. (according to other sources, it was 626, when the Romans used fire against the Persians and Avars, who were besieging Constantinople with united forces). "Liquid fire" erupted from the siphons, and the combustible mixture burned even on the surface of the water.

The fire was extinguished only with sand. This sight caused horror and surprise to the enemy. One of the eyewitnesses wrote that the combustible mixture was applied to a metal spear launched by a giant sling. It flew with the speed of lightning and with a thunderous crash and looked like a dragon with a pig's head. When the projectile reached its target, an explosion occurred and a cloud of acrid black smoke rose, after which a flame appeared, spreading in all directions; if they tried to extinguish the flame with water, it flared up with renewed vigor.

Trebuchet

For the first time, pipes with "Greek fire" were installed and tested on dromons - ships of the fleet of the Byzantine Empire, and then became the main weapon of all classes of Byzantine ships.

Dromon

Constantine IV Pogonat

The Byzantine historian Theophanes reports: “In the year 673 the overthrowers of Christ undertook a great campaign. They sailed and spent the winter in Cilicia. When Constantine IV learned about the approach of the Arabs, he prepared huge double-decked ships, equipped with Greek fire, and ships carrying siphons ... The Arabs were shocked ... They fled in great fear. "

In 717, the Arabs, led by the Caliph's brother, the Syrian governor Maslama, approached Constantinople and on August 15 made another attempt to take possession of Constantinople. On September 1, an Arab fleet of more than 1,800 ships occupied the entire space in front of the city. The Byzantines blocked the Golden Horn Bay with a chain on wooden floats, after which the fleet, led by Emperor Leo III, inflicted a heavy defeat on the enemy.

Leo III the Isaurian

His victory was largely facilitated by the "Greek fire". “The emperor prepared fire-carrying siphons and placed them aboard one- and two-deck ships, and then sent them against two fleets. Thanks to God's help and through the intercession of His Most Holy Mother, the enemy was utterly defeated. "

Constantinople

The same thing happened with the Arabs in 739,780 and 789. In 764 the Bulgarians fell victim to the fire ...

There is evidence that the Romans used the "Greek fire" against the Russians.

destruction of Prince Igor's fleet

However, in another naval battle of the same Vladimir Yaroslavich with the Roman fleet, when the prince was returning home, the "Greek fire" did not manifest itself in any way. The Russians returned to Kiev without hindrance. It is also not entirely clear why fire was not used during the famous successful campaign against Byzantium by the Kiev prince Oleg in 907 ... And why did Byzantium not use such a powerful means against its other opponents?

defense of Kozelsk

Batu's victorious invasion of Western Europe also managed without the use of "live fire". The famous Janibek stormed Kafa (modern Feodosia) for more than a year to no avail ...