Light

Oil Lamps

In classical antiquity, oil lamps were indispensable because there was no electric lighting. People largely lived according to daylight, and lamps provided light in the evening in houses, villas, and cities. As fuel, they mainly used olive oil and animal fat, but also nut oils such as hazelnut and walnut oil, especially in regions where olive oil was expensive or scarce.

An oil lamp consisted of a reservoir for oil and a spout with a wick. Wicks that were too long caused a lot of smoke and odor, so they had to be regularly adjusted with an awl. Lamps had to be refilled daily and relit. There were simple earthenware lamps, but also richly decorated bronze variants.

Archaeologists distinguish different types of lamps through typologies (such as Bailey and Loeschcke). Greek lamps were small, often without handles, and well-sealed against spillage. In Roman times, lamps were mass-produced in molds in Italy: closed models with decorative disks and various spout shapes. In the late imperial and Byzantine periods, richly decorated, sometimes multi-wicked lamps with pagan and Christian symbols appeared.

Oil lamps had a practical as well as a religious function. They appeared on lararia (household altars) and carried symbolism: the ascending fire was seen as a form of offering to gods and household deities. This tradition continued into early Christianity, where lamps and later candles played a similar role.

At the same time, open flames posed a significant fire risk. Therefore, there were rules regarding fire use, and residents had to have fire extinguishing means such as water, vinegar, cloths, and buckets at home. Firefighting was usually done by neighbors and residents themselves, without a professional fire brigade.