The Roman Glassmakers

In this episode of Build Like a Roman, we look at the Roman glassmaker, not of fancy vases and goblets, but down to earth windows glass. Many people aren't aware that the Romans even had glass in their windows. Not only did they have glass, it was more common than it was centuries later, in medieval times.

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Glossary - Episode 19: Vitriarius, the Roman Glass Maker

Vitriarius A Roman glass worker or glass maker. From vitrum, meaning glass. Specularius A worker associated with specularia, meaning translucent panes or window-like sheets. Specularia Roman window panes or translucent panels. Vitrum Latin for glass. Officina A workshop, workplace, or production space. Furnace The high-temperature structure used to melt or reheat glass. Roman glassworking required intense heat, often around 1,000°C. Crucible A heat-resistant vessel used to hold molten glass or other materials during high-temperature work. Molten glass Glass heated until it becomes soft, viscous, and workable. Casting stone A flat working surface onto which molten glass could be poured and spread to form a pane. Cullet Broken or waste glass reused in glass production. Recycling cullet reduced the need for expensive imported raw glass. Natron A naturally occurring soda-rich mineral used as a flux in Roman glassmaking. It helped lower the melting temperature of silica. Primary glass production The large-scale making of raw glass from ingredients such as silica, natron, and lime. Major centres were in the eastern Mediterranean, especially Egypt and the Levant. Secondary glass production The reworking of raw glass chunks or recycled glass into finished objects such as vessels, beads, or window panes. Levant The eastern Mediterranean region, including areas such as modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Freedman A formerly enslaved person who had been legally freed. Many Roman artisans and business operators were freedmen. Sulphuratae Sulphur matches or sulphur-tipped fire-sticks mentioned by Martial. In the episode, they appear in a joke about bartering cheap matches for broken glass. Martial A Roman poet and satirist, famous for short, sharp epigrams. Caecilius The target of Martial’s insult in the episode. Beyond the Tiber A reference to the Transtiberine district. In Roman satire, this could carry associations of poverty, marginality, migrants, freedmen, and lower-status urban life. Float glass Modern flat glass made by floating molten glass on molten tin. This is a modern industrial process, not Roman. Mica A mineral that can split into thin, translucent sheets. It was used historically as a light-admitting material. Alabaster A translucent stone that could be cut thinly to admit light before or alongside the use of glass windows. Vellum Prepared animal skin. In some contexts, thin animal membranes could be used to admit diffused light. Pliny the Elder Roman author of Natural History. He discusses glass and states that the most prized glass was colourless and transparent, resembling rock crystal. Rock crystal Clear quartz. Pliny uses it as a comparison for high-quality colourless glass. Bathhouse A major Roman building type that often used glass or other translucent materials to control light, heat, and comfort. Pane A sheet or panel of glass used in a window. Greenish or bluish glass Common natural tints in Roman glass, often caused by impurities in the raw materials. Annealing The controlled cooling of glass to reduce internal stress. If cooling was poorly managed, glass could crack or fail. Buy me a Coffee

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