wish we knew the recipe for this (greek fire)
(media.scored.co)
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[The invention of liquid fire is attributed to a Christian, Callinicus, who fled to Constantinople from Muslim Syria in AD 668. Flammable materials had been used in warfare by both the Greeks and Romans but nothing had ever been invented. which was as deadly as liquid fire.
The exact ingredients of the liquid were a closely guarded secret and its composition has long been lost, but crude oil or naphtha is a known and main ingredient, probably sourced from the Crimea region. Other materials were calcium oxide, sulfur, resin, and potassium nitrate. Some scholars argue that gunpowder was also included in the mixture.
The process of making the liquid was very dangerous, given its explosiveness. Also the distillation of oil required complex technology for that period. Known only to a select few, the composition of liquid fire was a well-kept state secret that emperors passed down to their successors.
Thanks to these precautions the secret recommendation remained known only to the Byzantines for more than seven centuries.]