How did the Romans light their houses?

The most common was the Roman lucerna , an oil lamp that you can find today as a decorative reproduction in our shop. Lucernae were made of ceramic, had a rounded shape, and a nozzle for the wick. They were filled with olive oil—the same oil they used for cooking! They used linen or cotton wicks. They were so common that thousands have been found at archaeological sites.

But they weren't just functional objects: many were decorated with mythological scenes, gladiators, animals, or protective symbols. They were, at once, source of light and symbolic message .

I created this image so you can better understand the parts of the oil lamp:

The handle is the part by which the oil lamp is held, the disc is the central part where the filling and ventilation hole is located. The scrolls are decorative spiral elements very common on some oil lamps, as are the moldings that surround them. The spout is the elongated front part of the lamp where the hole for the cotton wick is also located.

💡 At Vita Romana, you can find faithful replicas of oil lamps, perfect for creating a summer ambiance on a terrace, as themed decorations, or even for historical reenactments. You can see our Roman oil lamps here.