Invicta

Units of History: Byzantine Fire Ships (Patreon)

Published:

2022-04-04 16:33:31

Imported:

2026-06

Tags:

Units

haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Content

NEW VIDEO: Units of History: Byzantine Fire Ships

"Thus, placed amid the Russians, they [the Byzantine ships] cast their fire all around. As soon as the Russians observed this, they threw themselves quickly from their ships into the sea and chose to be submerged by the waves, rather than to be burned by fire. Others, however, burdened by their breastplates and helmets, sought the bottom of the sea, never to be seen again, while several, swimming between the burning waves of the sea were incinerated, and on that day, no one escaped who did not free himself by swimming to the shore."

This account by Liutprand of Cremona, a Latin priest who visited Constantinople throughout his life, recalls one of the greatest examples of the Byzantine army during the siege of Constantinople in 941 CE against the Kievan Rus. Although the Byzantines managed to muster twelve measly ships, they resoundingly defeated the invading fleet using Greek fire. The Byzantine military was the deadly evolution of its Roman predecessor. Building upon the successful war machine of antiquity, they now bolstered it with new units of heavy infantry, cataphracts, and weaponry used in dominating battlefields in the Medieval World. Despite its murky origins, Greek fire became a highly classified weapon used by the Byzantine army.

The newest installment of Units of History: Fire Ships explores the use of Greek fire in naval battles. This technological advantage was key to the preservation of the Byzantine Empire.

Enjoy!

Files

Previews only

Units of History - Byzantine Fire Ships (Ancient Superweapons) DOCUMENTARY

A history documentary on the Byzantine Fire Ships! Claim your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/invicta. Start your free trial TODAY so you can watch "Pyros: Painting with Fire" which covers the fascinating behind the scenes world of Fire Works Displays: https://www.magellantv.com/series/pyros-painting-with-fire This animated documentary is part of our Units of History series covering elements of the Byzantine Army and more. In this episode we explore the Fire Ship super weapons which saved the Byzantine Empire. The documentary begins with a look at the history of incendiary weapons. This stretches from the Assyrian Army to the Indian, Sassanid, Greek, and Roman forces as well. Specifically however we focus on the emergence of Naptha and Greek Fire. This technology came at a critical moment when the Byzantine Empire was being overrun by the Arab Conquests and would prove to be their savior. In the equipment section we cover how the greek fire siphons were built and how they were mounted on Byzantine Dromons. We then turn to their tactical use in battle before covering their service history. This includes critical action during the numerous times when invaders tried to execute a siege of Constantinople. We cover the Arab Siege of Constantinople in the 8th century as well as the Kievan Rus attack on the city in the later 10th century. In previous episodes we have covered the Byzantine Grenadiers, Varangian Guards, the Roman Cataphracts, and many more fascinating troop types. What Units of History should we cover next? Credits Research = Sophia Ware and Chris Das Neves Script = Chris Das Neves Narration = Guy Michaels Editing = Penta Limited Sources and Suggest Reading: “Greek Fire” by Linda Alchin “Byzantine authors: literary activities and preoccupations” by John Nesbitt “Praecepta Militaria” by Nicephorus II Phocas “Tactica” by Emperor Leo VI the Wise #Units #Byzantine #Documentary