There are many things about the Byzantine Empire that you can compare directly to America. One of those things is the ideology of the state. The Byzantine Empire, despite it being an imperial state, still retained the iconography of being a Republic. However, what was new was that the Empire was particularly blessed by god. This was the protection that any state would love to have; having the divine on our side was an important motivator for anyone. However, what really mattered was the thick walls and defenses that kept enemies at bay. The important thing to remember is that the Theodosian Walls were double-layered and were built with strong stones. The capital of Byzantium was almost entirely impenetrable due to this. Because of these defenses, any army that sought to take over the city had to prepare for a long and arduous siege. To compound the issue, any invading army would need to have a powerful navy in order to prevent the besieged city from receiving supplies.
The naval aspect of the Byzantine Empire was pivotal in allowing for them to maintain their position for so long. They had the strongest navy in the Mediterranean for many centuries, and one of the reasons for this is the employment of Greek fire. They used an unknown chemical formula to create a powerful weapon of war that would send enemy ships into the watery depths. To this day, scientists are still not able to recreate this weapon.
Apparently, this weapon was created by a Jewish scientist who was concerned about Arab attacks on the capital of Byzantium. By mixing several ingredients together, he managed to create a formula that unleash a flame that could stay lit even when on water. This formula was given to the Emperor and the authorities managed to utilize it in several weapons. In this article from Greek Reporter, they describe how Greek fire was used in several weapons, such as jars and caltrops.
According to some historians, Greek fire was responsible for saving the Byzantine Empire from destruction and I would agree with this. The Byzantine Empire, no longer a powerful juggernaut it had been during the sixth century, would need to rely on other facets of military doctrine in order to be successful. This meant using an unorthodox tactics. The usage of Greek fire was a masterful stroke on part of the Byzantines. Instead of focusing on expensive, costly military adventures, the state was able for hundreds of years able to maintain its cohesion with the usage of such important weapons like Greek fire.
One of the things that I find interesting about Greek fire is how that scientists are unable to find the ingredients. It is one of the mysteries of Greek history that is shrouded in intrigue.
America also has the edge on its opponents through the usage of such high-tech weapons. However, it should said that technology cannot help in every instance. There are sometimes when the low-tech solution works as good or better than the high-tech one.
Byzantine-Empire.com 