Roman oil lamp gladiator fight Thraex / Murmillo
The slow burning of a wick soaked in oil is a very old principle to give light, which was known to many cultures. There is hardly an excavation site in which one does not find splinters belonging to ancient lamps. Interestingly, not only simple forms made of clay are found, but also pieces made of stone and metal, which, similar to this model, show ornate decorations and indicate a certain wealth of the owner. Oil lamps thus represented a certain necessity in times before electric or gas-powered light sources, which is why they were produced en masse, especially in the great ever-bustling Roman Empire, and are still often found well preserved today.
Simple and effective
The simplicity of the oil lamp may lead the observer to the fallacy that this is an ineffective design. In fact, however, the principle of this lamp has proven itself over the millennia and is still used today in similar or more complex designs. Our product impresses with its ease of use and safety: the flat lamp is very stable and not easily breakable. As in Roman times, ordinary cooking oil can be used to light one of the two included wicks.
- dimensions approx. 11 x 8cm
- incl. 2 wicks
- can be used with cooking oil
- organic packaging with wood wool
- Antique look
Decoration: gladiator fight
The decoration of the lamp depicts one of the absolute favorites of the arena visitors: The fight between Thraex and Murmillo, as it often took place. The two heavily armed gladiators, whose equipment and fighting style, like our oil lamp itself, were inspired by other cultures or adopted outright. ""Thraex"" itself, for example, means ""Thracian"", a member of a people in the southeastern Balkans known for their particular ferocity in battle. This decoration and many similar ones testify to the great popularity that such fights enjoyed and often embellished everyday objects.
The oil lamp today
In times of ever-increasing energy prices, the Roman-style oil lamp is not only an important part of the collection of anyone interested in antiquity, but an actual alternative for lighting, for example, a desk. Work and relax like the greatest minds of the Republic and Empire by the light of the oil lamp with gladiator motif.
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