sepulchral lamps
Preserved but no longer current.
The Romans are said to have preserved lamps in some of their sepul- chres for centuries, and many legends are told of their never dying. In the papacy of Paul III (1534-40) one was found in the tomb of Tullia (Cicero's daughter), which had been shut up for 1,550 years, and at the dissolution of the monasteries a lamp was found which is said to have been burning 1,200 years. Two are preserved in Leyden museum.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “sepulchral lamps” mean?
The Romans are said to have preserved lamps in some of their sepul- chres for centuries, and many legends are told of their never dying. In the papacy of Paul III (1534-40) one was found in the tomb of Tullia (Cicero's daughter), which had been shut up for 1,550 years, and at the dissolution of the monasteries a lamp was found which is said to have been burning 1,200 years. Two are preserved in Leyden museum.
Is “sepulchral lamps” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.