RomanArmyTalk

Full Version: Roman sources of light
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Hello to all,
what kind used Roman sources of light at roman period and
during fight when roman army in field ?


with best regards-sajid
Basically, either oil lamps or tallow (animal fat) candles. We tried this in our museum a few years back. The tallow candles gave a very basic level of illumination, not much more than about one foot all around the person. You could just about see enough to be able to write something on a wax tablet but the corners of the room were in darkness. The oil lamp (using olive oil) was a bit better, but not much.

Mike Thomas
Oil Lamps with one to perhaps a dozen wicks and wax/tallow candles, a round glass globe or bottle/urn in front of the lamp amplifies the light... a shoe makers trick..... a single wick is not much use other then to find your way to bed by, but 10+ will give you more then enough light to work by Wink

Lamps can be ceramic or metal and in a variety of designs, I favour shoe lamps.... Confusedmile:
lamps also exist with a frame holding clear panels probably made from horn or parchment...

https://www.ecosia.org/search/images/q/R...+lamp+shoe