Greek fire

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Greek fire

Greek fire a flammable composition believed to have consisted of sulfur, naphtha, and quicklime. Although known in antiquity, it was first employed on a large scale by the Byzantines. Bronze tubes that emitted jets of liquid fire were mounted on the prows of their galleys and on the walls of Constantinople. The Byzantines in 678 and again in 717-18 destroyed two Saracen fleets with Greek fire.

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Greek fire

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | Â© The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Greek fire a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon and used in ancient times to set light to enemy ships. It was first used by the Greeks besieged in Constantinople (673–78). It ignited on contact with water, and was probably based on naphtha and quicklime.

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"Greek fire." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Greek fire." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (November 29, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Greekfire.html

"Greek fire." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved November 29, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Greekfire.html

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