Byzantine vs Muslim Military Tech

Comparing Military Technology in the Byzantine and Muslim Empire The Byzantine Empire and the Muslim Empire were some of the biggest empires atter the fall of Rome. The Byzantine Empire was known for having one of the strongest militaries in the region. Their empire declined as the Muslim Empire invaded Byzantium, taking a lot of land and power in the process. One key part that allowed both empires to become so strong was their technological advancements in war. The Muslim and Byzantine armies were radically different because of their contrasting technology.

One of the biggest innovations of Byzantine science was Greek fire. Greek fire was a chemical mixture that would ravage ships, and could even burn underwater (Britannica).

It was invented during the reign of Constantine IV Pogonatus (668-685) by Callinicus of Heliopolis, a Greek-speaking Jewish refugee who had fled the Arab conquest of Syria (Britannica). Greek fire was launched from tubes mounted on the prows of Greek ships (Britannica). This helped the Byzantine army defend against the Muslim invaders.

Greek fire was a secret national treasure of the Byzantine Empire because of the amazing devastation it could unleash on its enemies (Britannica). The Byzantines even found a way to fill stone pots with Greek fire for ancient grenades (Forbes). Since their technology was much different, their overall armies would also be different. Without many of these innovations of war, the Byzantine Military would have never been so successful against defending against the Arabs, and their military would be much different than we know of today.

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The Muslim Military were more focused on offensive tactics, so their technological advances in warfare took a different path. The Arabs were the inventors of the earliest torpedos (Smithsonian). These torpedoes were used as assault weapons on the enemy navy. (Smithsonian).

The usage of torpedoes to attack was a great technological advancement. This meant that the attackers could maintain a large distance from the defenders and could still destroy their ships. It is not known if the device was ever built (Smithsonian). This could be because of Greek fire’s dominance and effectiveness in navy battles. The Muslims were also the first to incorporate marching bands into their armies (Bowles). Marching bands aided in the coordination of an army. This is especially important when the main objective is to attack and invade enemy territories. (Bowles). The Muslim Military used much more offensive technologies, and it is apparent with these two examples of Arab technology. The Muslim and Byzantine armies used many different technologies.

Byzantine war technology was mainly used as a way of defending against stronger opponents while Muslim technology focused on attacks and sieges. This can be seen from the Byzantines using Greek fire as a defensive weapon, and the Muslims using torpedos as long range assault weaponry. The Muslims also kept their troops in order with the marching band Bowles). The marching band allowed troops to coordinate efficiently and effectively (Bowles). The Byzantine Empire didn’t have such a strategy because of its defensive position. There was less of a need for a marching band inside the walls of a fortress compared to a battlefield. The differences of both empires are caused by these key differences.

Even though the Muslim Empire and Byzantine Empire were both very geographically close to each other, their technology, and tactics lead to their armies being much different. It is important to compare the two to learn about how unique a civilization can be. It is also important to learn from these two empires. It can be related today just like ISIS and the rest of the world. Even though ISIS is a much smaller force with less technology, and resources, they are still making a very big impact on the world today. Military technology of the Byzantine and Muslim Empires can still teach the world about both the rewards and consequences of war.