The Umayyad Siege of Constantinople (717-718)
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...