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Near the anchorage of the uncompleted trireme where we were hiding, we heard a splash and a noise of running liquid. I realized that a slightly bitter smell had been in the air for some time. We looked out, to see a sampan nearby. I saw a long tube being handled, and liquid seemed to be coming out of it. Then I noticed that the water around the trireme seemed to have an oily coating. And as I noticed this, a flaming torch was ignited in the sampan and thrown towards us. When it hit the water, the whole surface of the sea around us caught fire, and an acrid smell hit the air.
We leapt up in confusion. I looked around. Near at hand was a mess of boat-builder’s bits and pieces. I moved over and began to search, paying no attention to the apprehensive talk of my companions, until I heard Philodemus say loudly:
‘No, I shall swim ashore to bring help!’. He was already beginning to strip as he went to the side of the boat.
‘Wait?!’ I shouted. Philodemus paused, and I continued my search. I found a few sharp blades for fine work next to a whetstone, and some pots of red and white pigment to make paint, another pot of fresh water for the mixing, and a long-handled ladle. I put the ladle through the nearest oar-hole, and brought it out full of the burning sea. With my free hand I scooped water from the fresh water pot, and threw it into the ladle. The burning continued unabated. I took an off-cut from a plank, placed it firmly over the burning ladle, and counted slowly to twenty. When I removed the wooden cover, flames still leapt up. It was necessary to keep the ladle covered while I counted to one hundred, before the flames were extinguished.
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