Lucerna

(λύχνος). An oil-lamp. The Greeks and Romans originally used candles, but in later times candles were chiefly confined to the houses of the lower classes. A large number of ancient lamps have come down to us, the greater part of which are made of terra-cotta (τροχήλατοι), but also a considerable number of bronze. Most of the lamps are of an oval form and flat upon the top, on which there are frequently figures in relief. In the lamps there are one or more round holes, according to the number of wicks (ellychnia) burned in it; and as these holes were called, from an obvious analogy, μυκτῆρες or μύξαι, literally, nostrils or nozzles, the lamp was also called monomyxos, dimyxos, trimyxos, or polymyxos, according as it contained one, two, three, or a greater number of nozzles or holes for the wicks.

The next illustration of a lamp, with a figure of Silenus, represents one of the most beautiful bronze lamps that have yet been found.

The lamps sometimes hung in chains from the ceiling of the room (Verg. Aen. i. 726), but generally stood upon a stand. (See candelabrum.) Sometimes a figure holds the lamp, which also exhibits the needle or instrument which served to trim the wick, and is attached to the figure by means of a chain.

We read of lucernae cubiculares, balneares, tricliniares, sepulcrales, etc., which were named from the places where they were used, but were not distinguished in their shapes.

Having no contrivance like ours for consuming the smoke of their lamps, the ancients were much troubled by the resulting soot and smell. To obviate this they often used perfumed oils (Petron.70). See Becker-Göll, Charicles, iii. 86; id. Gallus, ii. 390.