Doomed to Fail

Ep 216: Ancient Incendiaries - Greek Fire

Episode Summary

Let's go back to ancient warfare, shall we? We'll talk about all the things you can fill a clay pot with to throw at enemies—spikes, bees, boiling hot sand—use your imagination! Then, we will discuss the mysterious Byzantine weapon, Greek Fire. From a siphon, it could shoot white hot fire onto enemy ships, causing pain, devastation, and setting the water aflame.

Episode Notes

Let's go back to ancient warfare, shall we? We'll talk about all the things you can fill a clay pot with to throw at enemies—spikes, bees, boiling hot sand—use your imagination!

 

Then, we will discuss the mysterious Byzantine weapon, Greek Fire. From a siphon, it could shoot white hot fire onto enemy ships, causing pain, devastation, and setting the water aflame.
 

How Greek Fire was Used to Target Enemy Ships - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPUgvYZ5UDk

The UnXplained: Greek Fire Is Every Sailor's Deadly NIGHTMARE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0CvNL4k140

What Do We Know about “Medieval Flame Throwers” Known as "Greek Fire"? -

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQt9nBh3ceM

 

"Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World" by Adrienne Mayor