Q&A ยท 2:30:17-2:30:41

Were incendiaries used in Punic naval battles?

Possible early incendiary use came with a serious fire risk aboard the firing ship.

Question

Is there evidence for incendiaries in Punic War naval battles?

Short answer

Incendiaries were probably being tried through artillery, but they endangered the wooden ship using them and differed from later Greek fire.

Notes

Incendiaries were probably being tried in Punic naval warfare, chiefly through artillery. That assessment is tentative and does not identify a specific engagement. These weapons differed from the later Greek-fire system. Fire also endangered the wooden ship carrying and launching the weapon.