Greek fire was an early thermal weapon used by the Byzantine Empire during the 9th and 10th centuries. This incendiary liquid could burn even on water, which made it ideal for use in naval battles. It was generally pumped out of siphons onto enemy ships or poured into grenades and thrown by hand. Tradition holds that the secret of Greek fire was bequeathed to Emperor Constantine by an angel. The composition of this weapon was a closely guarded military secret, so modern scientists do not know the exact Byzantine formula. Some of the proposed ingredients include quicklime, sulfur, niter, and naphtha.
Although Greek fire was a formidable weapon, it did not make the Byzantine Empire invincible. It had a limited range when deployed either by siphons or grenades. Byzantine soldiers could not utilize the weapon when seas were rough, or they would risk their own ships and personnel being destroyed. Despite these drawbacks, Greek fire was used to great advantage during the Byzantine civil wars and remains an interesting historical enigma today.
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Select the correct answer.
Read the following sentence from the passage.

Tradition holds that the secret of Greek fire was bequeathed to Emperor Constantine by an angel.

The author most likely included this sentence in the passage to

A.
explain why it took so long for scientists to uncover the Byzantine recipe for Greek fire.
B.
reveal an additional reason for the importance of Greek fire to the Byzantines.
C.
highlight the religious controversy that caused the wars in which Greek fire was used.
D.
suggest that Greek fire was a religious myth and not a real weapon used in warfare.