Yes! The weapon used in the Battle of Blackwater, in the penultimate episode of the second season of game of Thronesreally existed.
According to the book A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowderby historians JR Partington and Bert S. Hall, this fire that burns everything in its path (even when thrown over water) would have emerged by the hands of chemists from Constantinople, at the end of the 7th century. And it was in the capital of the Byzantine Empire which became a powerful weapon of war, essential to repel Arab invaders.
It could be used in several ways: inside jars thrown by catapults, falling from cranes onto victims, or even in a complex mechanism that injected air into a boiler filled with fire. This, in turn, pushed the mixture through a hose to the enemy.
The formula was kept as a state secret by the Byzantines – and eventually died with them. Today, there is only speculation about its composition, which would include potassium nitrate, calcium oxide and even petroleum. Still according to reports of the time, the only substances that could put out a living fire were sand, vinegar and urine.
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