Kindling automatic fire to burn the enemy's arms
To kindle automatic fire. Kindling automatic fire also by this composition. It is prepared thus: unburnt sulphur, mined salt, lye, thunder-stone, and pyrites, equal parts, are pounded smooth in a black mortar while the sun is at mid-heaven. Mixed in also is an equal of black-mulberry juice and of wet Zacynthian asphalt and of the self-flowing asphalt, each equal, so that it becomes sooty. Then a very little lime is added to the asphalt. One must rub carefully, with the sun at mid-heaven, and guard the face: for it will kindle suddenly.
Once kindled it must be lidded with some bronze vessel, so as to have it ready thus in a box, and no longer show it to the sun. But in the evening, if you wish to set the enemy's arms on fire, you will smear these or some other thing — secretly, though: for when the sun appears, all will be burned.
Greek
2.11 Αὐτόματον πῦρ ἅψαι Αὐτόματον πῦρ ἅψαι καὶ τῷδε τῷ συντάγματι· σκευάζεται γοῦν οὕτως· θείου ἀπύρου, ἁλὸς ὀρυκτοῦ, κονίας, κεραυνίου λίθου, πυρίτου ἴσα λειοῦνται ἐν θυίᾳ μελαίνῃ, μεσουρανοῦντος ἡλίου· μίγνυταί τε συκαμίνου μελαίνης ὀποῦ καὶ ἀσφάλτου Ζακυνθίας ὑγρᾶς καὶ αὐτορύτου ἑκάστου ἴσον, ὡς λιγνυῶδες γενέσθαι· εἶτα προσβάλλεται ἀσφάλτῳ τιτάνου παντελῶς ὀλίγον· ἐπιμελῶς δὲ δεῖ τρίβειν, μεσουρανοῦντος ἡλίου, καὶ φυλάσσειν τὸ πρόσωπον· αἰφνίδιον γὰρ ἀναφθήσεται. Ἁφθεῖσαν δὲ χρὴ πωμάσαι χαλκῷ τινι ἀγγείῳ, πρὸς τὸ ἕτοιμον οὕτως ἔχειν εἰς πυξίδα καὶ μηκέτι δεικνύναι τῷ ἡλίῳ· ἀλλ' ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ, ἐὰν βούλῃ πολεμίων ὅπλα ἐμπρῆσαι, ταῦτα καταχρίσεις ἢ ἕτερόν τι, λεληθότως δέ· ἡλίου γὰρ φαινομένου, πάντα καυθήσεται.