Used to raze ships and besiege cities, the chemical composition of this combustible compound was lost to #history. Its secret formula added to the fire's mystery and effectiveness as a propaganda tool. | Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Greek Fire is the ultimate secret. The recipe was guarded so closely that it died with the Byzantine Empire. As a result Greek Fire remained a mystery for nearly 1,400 years, not because we lacked the chemistry, but because nobody thought to combine history, chemistry and geology and actually test it at full scale. This is the ultimate story of interdisciplinary science at its finest, solving ancient mysteries with hands on science. Love it!! Further reading: John Haldon’s publications through P