The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-05
Greek Fire.

eSting on several accounts. The fire was
invented in the seventh century, while
the human mind was lapSing into barbar-
ism. 1t saved the Lower Empire repeat
edly Cvom destruction, by burning ships
and driving back armies from before the
capital. Amidst a hundred revolutions it
remained a close secret in possession Of
the Government at ConstantinOple, for
four hundned years, after which knOwl-
sig rs its ereparxti0R phXAet 'x.SlSc - E&ss
Mohammedans of Asia, who used it with
powerful effect up0p the Western NATIONS
+iF'%.s<s2Ss~<,. .sSsseE s--3.a~se-t.$;SS
ti6ne&as lost, and 80 contfM deti for several
hundred years and whether the parties
now instituting the experisaeat kdrc sc
produced the genuine article, or only a
good imitation of it, is simply q matter of
conjecture.
We are indebted to Gibbon for our in
formation concerning this destructive
agent About the year 670 the Saracens
sat down before COnstantinople their large
naval expedition. having found the Helles.
pont unguarded. The city appeared as il
it would fall an easy prey. But whole
summer spent in beseiging it. only result
ed in disaster to those fanatical children
of the desert. A disgraceful peace, to
which the Caliph asSented in his dotage,
was followed by renewal Of the war by
his successor. A second expedition,
comprising, it is sPid, eighteen hundred
vessels, with one hundred and twenty
thousand men, appeared before the place.
Again the Grccian fire vessels launched
against them and with such terrible ef
feet was this fire used. that the immense
feet was nearly annihilated. Nor were
the land forces more successful when
brought to face the supposed supernatu-
raj agent. After desperate exertionS, pro-
lonScd to period Of thirteen months, the
army received orders to retire and Con-
stantinople was saved from the sign of
the crescent, up to the middle of the fiji
teenth century.
CallinicuS, a native of Ilcliopoli>, in
Syria. or Egypt, is alleged to be the dis
coverer Of this great secret. lie deserted
from the service of the Caliph to that of
the Emperor, probably from religious
motives. The historian Of the Decline and
Fall supposes that ndptha, or liquid btu
men, was the principal ingredient of the
Greek fire. In places this resinous sub
stance is found to spring from the earth
aud catch fire on exposure to the atmOs-
phcre. With it were mingled some other
substances, probably sulphur and pitch
or rosin. The compound produced a
thick smoke and loud explosion, accom-
panied by fierce and obstinate flame,
which burned in every direction. Sand,
vinegar and urine were the only known
remedies against its ravages. 1T was
poured from ramparts in large bodies, or
launched in red hot balls of stone or iron,
or darted in arrows or javelins, twisted
round with flax and tow, which had deep.
ly imbibed the intlammable OIL Some
times it was deposited in fire ships, the
victims and instruments Of a more ample
revenge, and was most commonly blown
through long tubes Of copper, which were
planted on the PROV of galley, and fan
cifully shaped into the mouths Of savage
'a5onstcrs, that seemed Ia Vomit stream
of liquid and consuming FIRE.
at came flying through the air" says
Joinville, " like winged, long-tailed dra
gon, about the thickness Of hogshead,
with the report of thunder and the veloci-
u of lightning; and the darkness Of night
was dispelled by this deadly illumination. "
That a composition of this sort could
be kept profound secret for ages, is sur
priSing; yet there can be no reasonable
doubt regarding it. The Emperors would
often succor other nations with galleys
and weapons prepared with it; but the
mystery of its manufacture they would
never impart Asking assistance from
foreigners, they were inexorable in pre-
serving n monopoly Of the art. Some
times they would instruct ambassadors to
pretend that it had been miraculously
made known to the great Constantine,
and the boon would be withdrawn If COM
municated to others. BY some means it
was preserved to the end Of the eleventh
century, when at length it was discovered
or stolen by the Mohammedans. But it
continued in use up TO the invention of
gunpOwder. Considering that the Ara
bians had made extensive researches in
alchemy at an early date in the history of
their empire, it seems the more strange
that the constituents of the famous Greek
fire should have so long baffled every at
tempt at their discovery.