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1. Define Greek Fire.
Greek Fire is an incendiary compound that was resistant to water and would
stick to most thing it touched. There were few items resistant to Greek Fire,
such as leather soaked in vinegar
(McFadden, 2021)
. Greek Fire is similar to
napalm in its consistency and application. Greek fire is also reported to
intensify with water and its naval applications against the wooden ships of
the time were disastrous.
2. List the basic composition of Greek Fire.
The refined composition of Greek Fire was such a closely guarded secret in
its time, the general recipe consists of Naptha or other petroleum based
products as the base. Other products such as sulfur or pitch were mixed in to
add to the volatility and combustion as fuel sources. Other materials were
likely added, but the ingredients are amounts are unknown. Notes from the
founder, Kallinikos (Callinicus) of Heliopolis have been recovered, but only
partial notes. Possible ingredients include, pine or cedar resin, lime, and
bitumen along with the petroleum base
(McFadden, 2021)
.
3. Cite examples of Greek Fire's use.
Over the time period of Greek Fire’s use, there are numerous battles waged
where it was used. Greek Fire was first notably used to defend
Constantinople in the first and second Arab sieges. Greek Fire was used
against Arab fleets as well as Russian fleets on numerous occasions. Greek
Fire was used in the naval battles fought against “the Saracens, during the
Rus’-Byzantine Wars, the Byzantine civil wars, and the Sviatoslav’s invasion
of Bulgaria
(Milligan, 2021)
.”
4. Recall the time period from which Greek Fire reigned supreme.
Greek Fire was prominent from 959-963 AD. This time frame was during the
Byzantine Empire, which was the remnants of the Eastern Roman Empire
(McFadden, 2021)
.
5. Recognize the period during which gunpowder took prominence over
Greek Fire.
Early gunpowder took prominence in the 9
th
century in China and it is
believed that it spread to Europe by the Mongols in the 13
th
century and the
gunpowder revolution occurred between 1300 and 1650 (Guilmartin, n.d.).
6. Discuss how the impact of warfare, industry and scientific experimentation
helps to advance explosive (incendiary) development.
Warfare drives invention and innovation. Technology wins wars. Having
better gear and equipment than your enemy can change the tide of war as
well. Warfare has led to countless innovations with explosives, such as
making them safer from drops as well as temperature controlled. Industry
standards have also helped boost safety with explosives as well as the
techniques involved with the use for demolition. Scientific experimentation is
the overarching realm that leads to better, more efficient, and safer chemical
compounds with higher yields.
7. Gunpowder was labled by this name in its early history?
Gunpowder was referred to as black powder in its early history (Guilmartin,
n.d.).
8. Gunpowder ruled as the explosive of preference for approximately how
long?
Gunpowder reigned supreme from the 9
th
century until the mid to late 19
th
century so for approximately 1000 years, gunpowder was the ruling
explosive (Guilmartin, n.d.).
9. In the seventeen century gunpowder was one of how many other unknown
inventions? List and name these other inventions.
There were numerous inventions in the seventeenth century that would have
a much greater impact on the world than they were originally given credit for
(Bellis, n.d.):
1608 – Refracting telescope (Hans Lippershey)
1620 – Human-powered submarine
1624 – Slide rule (William Oughtred)
1625 – Blood transfusion (Jean-Baptiste Denys)
1629 – Steam turbine (Giovanni Branca)
1636 – Micrometer (W. Gascoigne)
1642 – Adding Machine (Blaise Pascal)
1643 – Barometer (Evangelista Torricelli)
1650 – Air pump (Otto von Guericke)
1656 – Pendulum clock (Christian Huygens)
1660 – Cuckoo Clock (Black Forest Region of Germany)
1663 – Reflecting telescope (James Gregory)
1668 – Reflecting telescope (Isaac Newton)
1670 – Candy cane/champagne (Dom Pérignon)
1671 – Calculating machine (Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz)
1675 – Pocket watch (Christian Huygens)
1676 – Universal Joint (Robert Hooke)
1679 – Pressure cooker (Denis Papin)
1698 – Steam pump (Thomas Savery)
10. The Chinese referred to gunpowder by this name. List the name in
Chinese and English.
The Chinese referred to gunpowder as “huo yao”, which, in English means
“fire medicine.” This name came was derived from the Chinese alchemists
that were in search of an elixir of life (Andrade, 2022).
References:
Andrade, T. (2022, November 26).
The origins of the gunpowder age
. Medievalists.net.
https://www.medievalists.net/2022/11/origins-gunpowder-age/
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Bellis, M. (n.d.).
Seventeenth Century Inventions 1600 - 1699
. Seventeenth Century inventions
1600 to 1699 - inventions of the 1600s.
https://theinventors.org/library/inventors/bl1600s.htm
Guilmartin, J. F. (n.d.).
The Gunpowder Revolution, c. 1300–1650
. Encyclopædia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/technology/military-technology/The-gunpowder-revolution-c-
1300-1650
Milligan, M. (2021, June 18).
The mystery of greek fire
. HeritageDaily.
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/06/the-mystery-of-greek-fire/139514
McFadden, C. (2021, September 20).
Greek fire: The Byzantine Empire’s secret weapon of mass
destruction
. Interesting Engineering. https://interestingengineering.com/culture/greek-fire-
the-byzantine-empires-secret-weapon-of-mass-destruction