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. The earliest oil lamps made from clay can be dated back to the Bronze Age, to around the sixteenth century BC and by the Roman period, oil lamps, or lychnus, from the Greek λυχνος, were commonplace throughout the Empire. The oldest Roman lamps date back to the third century BC, and it is thought that they were influenced by the Southern Italic style. They were used for domestic, public, and religious purposes, including funeral ceremonies, lighting up businesses, and creating ‘special effects’ at the theatre, 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. Common decorative themes depicted on the discus included entertainment scenes (such as gladiators in combat), common myths, and animals. In the late Roman to Byzantine period we see a steep increase in the depiction of Christian-influenced motifs. Christianity was the predominant religion at the time, and this is reflected in the decoration of this lamp.
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.
