What is GREEK FIRE?

Question

........and how is it made?

Answer 1

it is something like naplam,,the secret to producing it has been lost for eons. when it burns, it is almost impossible to put out. the greeks used it with great efficency against their enemies ships. Hope that helps

Answer 2

Greek Fire was a weapon used by the Byzantine Empire (also known as the "Empire of the Greeks") starting at earliest around 673AD, and was one of the best kept, and most effective, military secrets in history. So well kept, in fact, that even today historians and scientists have only a few leads as to what this substance may have actually been. All they know is that it was probably stored in flasks, and behaved similarly to an oil fire, spreading when water was poured upon it, and burning even setting atop the ocean. However, unlike an oil fire, some stories and tales state that Greek Fire could burn even underwater, an impressive feat. Quicklime is a strong possibility for a chief reagent, reacting violently with water. It was possibly coupled with petroleum and sulfur to create a sticky, goopy mess that only got worse when water was used to try to extinguish it. However, no one can really know for sure.

Answer 3

Geek fire was an innovations in which the greeks essentially made molotov cocktails but the catch was when your oponants tried to put the fire out with water it only increased the severity of the fire. By the time anyone figures out that water is making things worse the fire is already too intense. As for how to make it? I think it's a lost art, but keep trying and you might find it.

Answer 4

Greek fire was a burning-liquid weapon used by the Byzantine Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, and Mongols. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning even on water. It was largely responsible for many Byzantine military victories, and partly the reason for the Byzantine Empire surviving as long as it did. The formula was a secret and remains a mystery to this day. The formula was probably made of oils and certain chemical mixes which when exposed to flammable substances will ignite...
Although, keeping in mind that those chemicals and oils had to be readily available during those times...

Answer 5

Greek fire was a burning-liquid weapon used by the Byzantine Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, and Mongols. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning even on water. It was largely responsible for many Byzantine military victories, and partly the reason for the Byzantine Empire surviving as long as it did. The formula was a secret and remains a mystery to this day. As one contemporary victim of Greek fire advised his comrades, "Every time they hurl the fire at us, we go down on our elbows and knees, and beseech Our Lord to save us from this danger"

The ingredients, process of manufacture, and usage were a very carefully guarded military secret—so secretive that it remains a source of speculation to this day. Speculations include

petroleum, niter, sulfur[9];
naphtha, quicklime, sulfur[10];
phosphorus and saltpeter[11].
It is not clear if the operator ignited the mixture with a flame as it emerged from the syringe, or if it ignited spontaneously on contact with water or air. If the latter is the case, it is possible that the active ingredient was calcium phosphide, made by heating lime, bones, and charcoal. On contact with water, calcium phosphide releases phosphine, which ignites spontaneously. The reaction of quicklime with water also creates enough heat to ignite hydrocarbons, especially if an oxidizer such as saltpeter is present. However, Greek fire was also used on land.

These ingredients were apparently heated in a cauldron, and then pumped out through a siphon or large syringe (known as a siphònariòs) mounted on the bow of the ship. Such a ship was herself called a siphònòphòròs. It could also be used in hand grenades, made of earthenware vessels. If a pyrophoric reaction was involved, perhaps these grenades contained chambers for the fluids, which mixed and ignited when the vessel broke on impact with the target.
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Answer 6

Greek fire is "liquid fire"-it can be sprayed on someone or something. It was used by the Byzantines in naval battles, and it would still burn on water, so many of the Byzantine naval victories were won by using the Greek Fire. The formula was a well kept secret, and is still unknown today.

Answer 7

Truth is we have no real idea how it was made. It was more or less probably a type of pine tar that had flammable substances added to it and placed in a jar and shot over onto the enemies ship or troops. It sounds like a type of modern day napalm. We are still trying to figure out how it was made. This is one thing we know existed but have no record of how it was produced.

Answer 8

You need to ask this question over in chemistry or history!

There are two or three different theories as to exactly what was used for Greek fire.

Answer 9

ancient napalm
nobody really knows the specific formula that the ancient Byzantines used, possibly naphtha..it was highly thermetic - water would actually intensify the heat. they would make up the fuel and light it..spewing it from their boats onto other boats. wooden boat + fire= death

Answer 10

Go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Fire