Byzantine Military Tech

The Byzantine navy dominated the Mediterranean using Greek Fire, a devastating petroleum-based incendiary mixture. Launched from specialized dromon warships using pressurized bronze tubes called siphons, the liquid ignited upon contact and famously burned on water. This unextinguishable weapon repeatedly saved Constantinople from massive sieges.

On land, the empire revolutionized cavalry tactics by adopting the composite bow and the stirrup from Central Asian and Avar cultures. These additions allowed riders to shoot arrows with unprecedented precision while on the move, transforming Byzantine Cataphracts into highly mobile, heavily armored shock troops that outmatched slower, traditional armies.