Monuments of the early church . st gold beforethe altar, in whichburned genuinenard, w^ith 80 dol-phins, weighing 30pounds. A silverchandelier (far itscantharus) with 20dolphins, wherethere burned genu-ine nard. Farusdenotes in generala chandelier; thefarus cantharusseems to have beeneither an uprightlamp-holder restingupon the floor, or some sort of corona suspended from theceiling. One must picture a great cantharus with many wicks,or one great flame, surrounded by a crown which supportecthe pendent lamps. In the nave of the Lateran there were45 such lamps of silver (without mention of penda
Monuments of the early church . st gold beforethe altar, in whichburned genuinenard, w^ith 80 dol-phins, weighing 30pounds. A silverchandelier (far itscantharus) with 20dolphins, wherethere burned genu-ine nard. Farusdenotes in generala chandelier; thefarus cantharusseems to have beeneither an uprightlamp-holder restingupon the floor, or some sort of corona suspended from theceiling. One must picture a great cantharus with many wicks,or one great flame, surrounded by a crown which supportecthe pendent lamps. In the nave of the Lateran there were45 such lamps of silver (without mention of pendants) eachweighing 30 pounds. The cantharus could obviously be usedalone; a pendent lamp of this sort was later called biitro. Thegabatha was a dish-shaped lamp for floating wicks. In theright aisle of the basilica there were 40 silver chandeliers eachweighing 20 pounds, and in the left, 25 of the same the nave (in gremio) of the basilica there were also 50silver chandeliers for holding candles (cantara cirostata) each. Fig. 154. — Bronze lamp. 352 JIIXOB ABTS weighing 20 pounds. AYliether they stood upon the floor, orhung from the ceiling, is not stated; nor whether they sup-ported one or more candles. At all events, there were sevencandelabra which did certainly rest upon the floor, one in frontof each of seven altars (see p. 126). They were of copperinlaid with reliefs in silver representing the prophets, theywere ten feet high, and they weighed each three hundredpounds. Mentioned in this connection, and apparently de-signed to contain oil for the lamps, are 3 measures {Metretas)of purest silver, weighing each 300 pounds and holding morethan 115 gallons (medemnos X). It will be noticed that, while both candles and lamps wereused, the lamps had the preference, and they only were usedin the immediate neighborhood of the altar. This distinctionholds good for all of the early period. On the altar itselfthere were no lights; as the celebrant faced the people, theywould
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectchristi, bookyear1901
