Marcus Graecus

At some early time, prior to 1000 A.D., an observant scientist recognized the unique properties of a blend of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal and black powder was developed as the first "modern" high-energy composition. A formula quite similar to the one used today was reported by Marcus Graecus ("Mark the Greek") in an 8th century work "Book of Fires for Burning the Enemy"... 

In the Liber Ignium of Marcus Graecus, which was probably translated into Latin from an Arabic source ca 1300, were several references to incendiaries used by Arabs. One of them ignis volatilis (flying fire) consisted of resin 1, sulfur 1 and saltpeter 2 parts, dissolved into a hollow reed or wood. This was in the opinion of Marshall 1 (Ref 11, p 17) an incendiary ( wild fire )... 

According to the book of Marcus Graecus, entitled Fire, which appeared about 1300 AD, the following composition was known in the. 13th century in Europe saltpeter 6p (66.7%), charcoal 2p (22.2%) and sulfur lp (11.1%). It was used in two munitions, a thunder bomb and an incendiary rocket, called the flying tunica. The latter consisted of a narrow cylinder filled with the above Black Powder mixture which served as both propellant and incendiary for this prototype rocket... 

In the book by Marcus Graecus Liber ignium translated from Arab sources and published ca. 1300, there is a fairly full description of the composition of a combustible mixture called flying fire (ignis volatilis) ... 

Following these first known descriptions there appears in the Latin manuscript of the Booh of Fires of Marcus Graecus a further description written in about the twelfth or thirteenth century. The copy in which it appears is... 

The first reference to saltpeter is found in No. 12 of the recipes of Marcus Graecus 27... 

In the celebrated book of Marcus Graecus, Liber ignium ad comburendos kostes,10 Greek fire and other incendiaries are described fully, as is also black powder and its use in rockets and crackers. This work was quoted by the Arabian physician, Mesue, in the ninth century, and was probably written during the eighth. 

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