Humambo hweByzantine hunozivikanwa zvakanyanya nemachechi ayo makuru, mifananidzo yakanaka, uye kuchengetedza ruzivo rwekare. Zvisinei, umambo uhwu hwakaitawo basa rinokosha munhoroondo yehondo. Kunyanya, maByzantine akagadzira rudzi rutsva uye rwepamusoro rwechombo chinonzi Greek Fire. Kunyange hazvo vanyori venhoroondo vachiri kukakavadzana kuti tekinoroji iyi yakashanda sei, mhedzisiro yacho yaive chombo chemoto chakachinja hondo zvachose.
Mukutanga kwezana remakore rechitanhatu CE, Umambo hweByzantium hwakanga hwatovapo sesimba duku asi richikura munharaunda yokumabvazuva yeMediterranean. Mushure memakumi emakore ekunetsana nevakwikwidzi vavo veSassanid kumabvazuva nekuchamhembe, zvisinei, zvinhu zvakange zvoda kuipa zvakanyanya kuConstantinople nevagari vayo — vaive varwiswa zvine mutsindo nezvikepe zvevavengi zvine simba kakawanda.
Muna 572 CE, boka guru rengarava raibva kuMudzivisi mukuru weConstantinople—Umambo hwePezhiya—rakapinda muBosphorus Strait ndokutanga kupisa ngarava dzose dzaiuya. Kukomba kwacho kwakatora mwedzi miviri kutozosvikira pakupedzisira mumwe mubati wehove ane ushingi womunzvimbomo anonzi Niketas akatungamirira varedzi biyake muhondo mukurwisana nengarava dzavavengi vane hari dzakazadzwa nezvinwiwa zvinopfuta izvo vaigona kukandira vadzivisi vavo kana vasvika pedyo zvakakwana, asi vachiramba vari kure. Iyi nguva yakaratidza imwe yenzvimbo dzakawanda dzekuchinja munhoroondo yeByzantine.
Makore zana gare gare, apo kukomba kwokutanga kweArab Constantinople kwakatanga muna 674-678 CE, vaByzantium vakadzivirira guta racho nezvombo zvomoto zvaizivikanwa se“Moto wechiGiriki.” Kunyange zvazvo izwi rokuti "moto wechiGiriki" rave richishandiswa zvakanyanya muChirungu nemimwe mitauro yakawanda kubva panguva dzeCrusades, chinhu ichi chaizivikanwa nemazita akasiyana-siyana muByzantine, kusanganisira "moto wegungwa" uye "moto wemvura."
Moto wechiGiriki wainyanya kushandiswa kupisa zvikepe zvevavengi kubva kure. Kukwanisa kupisa kwechombo mumvura kwaiita kuti ive nesimba uye ive yakasiyana nekuti yaidzivirira varwi vevavengi kuti vadzime moto panguva yehondo dzemugungwa.
Zvinokwanisika kuti kusangana nemvura kwakawedzera kupisa kwemoto. Zvainzi mvura isinganzwisisike payakangotanga kutsva, zvaisaita kudzima. Ichi chombo chinouraya chakabatsira kuchengetedza guta uye kupa Humambo hweByzantine muganhu pamusoro pevavengi vahwo kwemamwe makore 500.
VaByzantine, kufanana nevadzimi vemoto vemazuva ano, vanonzi vakagadzira mhino kana kuti siphn nechemberi kwezvimwe ngarava dzavo kuti vaise moto wechiGiriki pangarava dzevavengi. Kuita kuti zvinhu zvitonyanya kuipa, moto wechiGiriki wakanga uri musanganiswa wemvura wakanamira pachinhu chipi nechipi chawaisangana nacho, ingava ngarava kana kuti nyama yomunhu.
Moto wechiGiriki waibatsira uye waityisa. Yainzi yaiita ruzha rukuru uye utsi hwakawanda hwakafanana nekufema kweshato.
Kallinikos weHeliopolis anonzi akagadzira Moto wechiGiriki muzana remakore rechinomwe. Zvinoenderana nengano, Kallinikos akaedza nezvinhu zvakasiyana asati agadzirisa musanganiswa wakakwana wechombo chinopisa. Mushonga wacho wakabva wapiwa mambo weByzantine.
Nekuda kwekuparadza kwacho, maumbirwo echombo ainyatsochengetedzwa ruzivo. Yaingozivikanwa kumhuri yeKallinikos nevatongi veByzantine uye yakapfuudzwa kubva kuchizvarwa kuenda kune chimwe chizvarwa.
Kunyangwe vapikisi pavakawana Moto weGreek, havana kukwanisa kudzokorora tekinoroji, vachiratidza kushanda kweiyi zano. Zvisinei, ichi ndicho chikonzero zvakare nzira yekugadzira moto wechiGiriki wakazokanganwika nenhoroondo.
MaByzantine akaparadzanisa maitiro ekugadzira Moto weGreek kuitira kuti munhu wese aibatanidzwa azive chete maitiro ekuita chikamu chaicho chekubika chavaive nacho. Iyo sisitimu yakagadzirirwa kudzivirira chero munhu kubva pakuziva rese resipi.
Muchindakadzi weByzantine uye munyori wenhau dzakaitika Anna Komnene (1083-1153 CE), zvichibva pane zvinongedzerwa mumabhuku emauto eByzantine, anopa tsananguro isina kukwana yeresipi yeGreek Fire mubhuku rake The Alexiad:
“Moto uyu unogadzirwa nehunyanzvi hunotevera: Kubva pamupaini nemimwe miti inogara yakasvibira yakadaro, muto unopfuta unounganidzwa. Irori rinokwizwa nesarufa ndokuiswa mumachubhu etsanga, uye rinofuridzirwa nevarume vachirishandisa nokufema kwechisimba uye kunopfuurira. Zvino nenzira iyi inosangana nemoto pamuromo uye inobata chiedza uye inowira sechamupupuri chemoto pazviso zvevavengi."
Kunyangwe ichiratidzika sechikamu chakakosha cheresipi, iyi resipi yenhoroondo haina kukwana. Masayendisiti emazuva ano anogona kugadzira nyore nyore chimwe chinhu chaiita seGreek Fire uye chine zvimiro zvakafanana, asi hatingamboziva kana maByzantine akashandisa nzira imwechete.
Kufanana neakawanda maficha eByzantine mauto tekinoroji, iwo chaiwo madhigirii eGreek Fire kutumirwa panguva yekukombwa kweConstantinople haana kunyorwa zvisina kunaka, uye zvichienderana nekuturikira kukakavadzana nevanyori venhoroondo dzemazuva ano.
Mamiriro chaiwo eMoto weGreek anopokana, nemazano anosanganisira kuve imwe nzira yesarufa-based incendiary compound, inopisa petroleum-based substance/naptha, kana aerosolized liquid inobvira. Chero zvazvingave zvakaita, Moto wechiGiriki wakashandiswa zvakanyanya sechombo chine simba chengarava, uye wakashanda zvakanyanya munguva yacho.
