The Byzantine Empire existed as a continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces, meaning that the form of these oil lamps shows strong similarities to the Roman style. Roman oil lamps, called ‘lychnus‘, from the Greek ‘λυχνος’, are thought to have originated from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy and the oldest Roman oil lamp dates back to the 3rd century BC. During the Roman Empire, it became commonplace to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public, ceremonial, or domestic purposes, and this continued well into the Byzantine Empire. Over time, the manufacture of lamps increased, and so did the variation in decoration, which depended mainly on the shape and size of the lamp. Christianity was the predominant religion in the Byzantine world, and this is reflected in the decoration of the lamp. Common decorative themes depicted on the discus were entertainment scenes (such as gladiators in combat), common myths, and animals. From Byzantine into the early Islamic periods, lamp decoration became more abstract, featuring lines, crosses, dots, and geometric shapes.
To discover more about Byzantine art, please visit our relevant blog post:The Byzantine Empire, Art and Christianity.
To discover more about oil lamps in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Lighting The Way.
