This will be my second article on medieval naval tactics in the Mediterranean. I finished writing this paper many months ago, but I was not ready to release it. Now, I understand why.
The account needs to be revised, not only as a literary narrative but also as a concept. A good example is the presumed application of Greek Fire by Byzantine marines. Almost every chronicle mentions this, and modern explorers also repeat this fact. However, I am doubtful about its accuracy.
We won't argue about the term. The Crusaders called it Greek Fire, although the Byzantines identified themselves as Romans and used artificial fire, liquid fire, or sea fire. It was stored behind the deck in a large boiler, heated on an open fire, channeled through a tube to the nozzle, and sprayed under pressure toward an enemy ship. When I described it to my friend, a retired engineer, it made him laugh. How could this system work on a wooden boat when even a small human error or technological blunder could lead to a disaster? Interestingly, no medieval source reports such disasters, which should have happened now and then.
How is it possible that such a sophisticated weapon was not used by the enemies during its 500 years of existence? It's been said that it was a well-preserved state secret kept within the imperial family and that of the inventor. Is that possible? Byzantium experienced many instances of coup d'état. Conspirators would assassinate emperors while they were sleeping on a hunting trip. The victors would then eliminate all those associated with the court. The Arab invasion of 717 followed twenty years of anarchy, during which seven emperors ascended the throne. Some of them were killed, others were blinded, and still others were exiled to remote monasteries. No secret could have survived such turbulent times.
Modern experiments have shown that fire can be sprayed for about 15 meters just before impact. Why take such risks? If the commander wanted to set the enemy ship on fire, there were several less intensive means to do it. For instance, they could shoot incendiary arrows, or even several arrows aimed at different parts of a boat. They could also throw ceramic grenades filled with an explosive mixture, or fire these grenade with a catapult.
Upon further consideration, seizing a boat seemed like a more practical option, especially if he had a strong and loyal crew.
I came to the realization that I needed to conduct more research on the subject.
In the meantime, I stopped working on another account of the Battle of Chioggia, where I began jotting down ideas for a future article.
