How Did Byzantine Fire Ships Work? #Shorts #History #Units

Did you know how Byzantine Fire Ships worked and became the super weapons of their age?
The Fire Ships of the Byzantine Empire were created shortly after the discovery of Greek Fire in the 7th century AD. Engineers quickly began experimenting with incendiaries and methods of delivery, ultimately creating the famed Siphons which could be mounted on Byzantine Dromons. These fire ships would defeat the Arab and Kievan Rus invasions which sought to siege Constantinople on multiple occasions.

You can learn more about the Units of History through our documentary series:

THE BYZANTINES

THE GREEK WORLD

THE ROMANS

THE NORTHMEN

THE AFRICANS

THE NEAR EAST

Sources and Suggest Reading:
“Greek Fire” by Linda Alchin
“Byzantine authors: literary activities and preoccupations” by John Nesbitt
“Praecepta Militaria” by Nicephorus II Phocas
“Tactica” by Emperor Leo VI the Wise

[steel]

The description of the mixture makes it sound like some sort of napalm. Which honestly makes it even more terrifying

[samwill]

Huh, the tubing, the pump, the barrel, even the pilot light. It all sounds very similar to World War era flamethrowers just much larger and more primitive. The more things change I suppose.

[themosticonicscenesinmovie]

I love the smell of Greek fire in the morning...

[gustoslapswill]

Em, I think it was closer to a thousand years the Byzantines lasted.

[napoleonibonaparte]

All they need was for it to be installed in Turtle Ships.

[TheBigExclusive]

Thank you for not trying to loop the video. I really like a normal video with a beginning and an end.

[ayahpinkofficial]

This weapons is far before Gunpowder were invented in china....after Cannon in game everything change....But it really help maintain sea Security of Byzantine for centuries before Gunpowder

[mohammedwaheeb]

I read before that it was lost some time after
The weird thing is historian actually doesn't know how or when it just magically vanished and the recipe was lost forever
It's such a shame because i read that it can keep burning even when it's on water which is something marvelous for that time of era

[marshallgrek]

Imagine if the made flamethrowers for infantry. The byzantines would still live.

[stelios-]

Byzantium lived for 1100 years, not just 500.

[josemartinez-kwql]

And that is how the flamethrower was invented in the old days

[eliasshedd]

Did you know we still don't know how to make it?

[biscuits]

pressure valves back in those days is crazy

[BigFroggo]

That is surprisingly advanced for the era of which it was invented. Then again, the greeks invented a proto-steam engine that never saw a practical use at the time.

[stefanvella]

They should make a documentary about the byzantines using greek fire on the arabs and other enemies to save Constantinople

[skoronesa]

It doesn't need a pump or a siphon. Look at how old blowtorches work. Not all of them had pumps, those that did only had it for quicker starting. I own one.

[billmoss]

The amazing thing is that the formula was kept a secret. I used to know it but that was in another life.

[Zeero]

Curious how the ships avoided catching fire themselves. I imagine that these flamethrowers limited movement.

[BattleHistories]

It must have been terrifying for the invaders but equally terrifying for the men on-board these ships...

I mean you're spreading fire on top of the water surface. What could go wrong??

[jamesjohno]

And I don’t care what anyone says it’s still called Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia is still a church too….