Greek fire in history: Its origins, composition, development and uses

The main purpose of this thesis is to write the history of Greek fire (Gregeois) by conducting an interdisciplinary historical study on the subject of Greek fire which has been included in the textbooks in the social memory, but which was not taken as a subject in any monograph written in Turkish before. A study about the Greek fire, which was a weapon of key importance until widespread use of gunpowder, but the use of which was refrained from, would be important for maritime history of the Mediterranean basin, military history, siege warfare and history of military technology; it will also be an important study for the explanation of the longevity of the Byzantine Empire. Many aspects of Greek fire, such as propulsion systems, composition, raw material sources and production techniques have been changed in centuries. In time, Greek fire became not a single weapon but a whole family of weapon systems. Military personnel specialized in the use of Greek fire were trained and methods for protection from Greek fire were developed. In this thesis, all these subjects are examined. The main sources of the study are Byzantine chronicles, other chronicles, treatises and written works belonging to the Middle Ages that provide information about Greek fire, art history and archaeological works, especially miniatures and drawings. In addition, research in English and Greek were examined. The results of the analysis of source data, comparative historical methodology and induction methods were compared with the knowledge of contemporary chemistry and physics. These results were evaluated collectively in a monograph.