Greek fire is invented
A weapon so secret its recipe was lost forever
The incendiary mixture, sprayed from siphons on ships and burning even on water, was used by Byzantium against Arab fleets from the 670s. Its composition was a state secret kept so well that the recipe is lost; most likely it was petroleum mixed with resins.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 7th century
Did you know
The recipe for Greek fire was guarded so well that it was lost for good. Byzantium burned enemy fleets with it for seven centuries; today historians can only guess its formula — probably petroleum and resins. Share →
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Middle East
- 680 Battle of Karbala — 8 years later
Africa
- 652 The Baqt treaty with Nubia — 20 years earlier
Alive at the time
- Pakal the Great (aged 69)
- Wu Zetian (aged 48)