The World of Roman Costume

289 Pages·1994·55.096 MB·English

by  Judith Lynn Sebesta, Larissa Bonfante

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The World of
Roman Costume
Edited by
Judith Lynn Sebesta and Larissa Bonfante
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS
The University of Wisconsin Press
2537 Daniels Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53718
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/
3 Henrietta Street
London WC2E 8LU, England
Copyright © 2001
The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
All rights reserved
5 4 3 2
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The world of Roman costume / edited by Judith Sebesta and Larissa Bonfante.
292 p. cm.-(Wisconsin studies in classics)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-299-13850-X (cloth)
ISBN 0-299-13854-2 (paper)
1. Costume-Rome-History. 2. Dress accessories-Rome-History.
3. Costume-Rome-Symbolic aspects. I. Sebesta, Judith.
II. Bonfante, Larissa. III. Series
GT555.W67 1994
391 '.00937'6-dc20 93-12709
CONTENTS
Illustrations Vil
Abbreviations Xlll
Contributors xv
Preface Judith Lynn Sebesta xv11
Introduction Larissa Bon( ante 3
PART I. ROMAN GARMENTS, HAIRSTYLES, ACCESSORIES
1 The Tpga: From National to Ceremonial Costume Shelley Stone 13
2 Symbolism in the Costume of the Roman Woman Judith Lynn Sebesta 46
3 The Costume of the Roman Bride Laetitia La Follette 54
4 Tunica Ra/la, Tunica Spissa: The Colors and
Textiles of Roman Costume Judith Lynn Sebesta 65
5 Jewelry as a Symbol of Status in the
Roman Empire Ann M. Stout 77
6 Roman Footwear Norma Goldman 101
PART II. ROMAN COSTUME AND LITERARY EVIDENCE
7 Cicero as Evidence for Attitudes to Dress in
the Late Republic Julia Heskel 133
8 De Habitu Vestis: Clothing in the Aeneid Henry Bender 146
9 The Social, Religious, and Political Aspects
of Costume in Josephus Douglas R. Edwards 153
PART III. ROMAN COSTUME AND GEOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS
10 Graeco-Roman Dress in Syro-Mesopotamia Bernard Goldman 163
11 Costume in Roman Palestine: Archaeological
Remains and the Evidence from the Mishnah Lucille A. Roussin 182
V
12 Costume as Geographic Indicator: Barbarians and
Prisoners on Cuirassed Statue Breastplates Richard A. Gergel 191
PART IV. RECONSTRUCTIONS
13 Reconstructing Roman Clothing Norma Goldman 213
Glossary 241
Bibliography 249
Index 263
v1 Contents
ILLUSTRATIONS
Seated female figure wearing a toga 4
1.1 The Arringatore 14
1.2 Painting depicting a togate genius familiaris between two Lares 15
1.3 Grave relief of a married couple 16
l.4a-d Reconstruction of the imperial toga pura 18
1.5a Outline of the imperial toga 19
1.5b Outline of the imperial toga after folding 19
1.6 South frieze of the Ara Pacis 20
1.7 M. Nonius Balbus of Herculaneum 22
1.8 Augustus, capite velato 23
1.9 Togatus from a group of the imperial family 26
1.10 Statue of Titus 27
1.11 Panels from the city side of Trajan's Arch at Benevcntum 28
1.12 Panel relief from an arch of Marcus Aurelius 29
1.13 Hadrian, capite velato 30
1.14 Septimius Severns and Julia Domna sacrifice 31
1.15 Concordia Augustorum relief of Septimius Severns and
his coregent, Caracalla 32
1.16 The Brother Sarcophagus 32
1.17a Togate man 33
1.176 Wilson's reconstruction of the shape of the toga 33
1.18 Detail of central section of the Liberalitas (Largitio) relief
on the Arch of Constantine 35
l.19a-b Ivory diptych of Probianus 36
1.20 Togate magistrate holding the mappa 37
2.1 Woman dressed in a stola 49
3.1 Portrait head of a Vestal Virgin in the British Museum 58
3.2 Detail of the fillet of the Vestal in the British Museum 58
3.3 Portrait head of a Vestal Virgin from the Atrium Vestae 58
3.4 Profile of the Vestal head from the Atrium Vestae 58
3.5 Late Trajanic portrait bust of a Vestal Virgin 59
3.6 Detail of head of Vestal Virgin from frieze B of the
Cancelleria reliefs 59
5.1 Fayum mummy portrait 79
5.2 Fragment of belt or breast ornament 79
Vil
5.3 Palmyrene relief 80
5.4 Ceiling fresco from beneath the cathedral, Trier 80
5.5 Cornucopia Cameo 81
5.6 Painted roundel of Septimius Severns and family 81
5.7 Medallion of Tacitus 81
5.8 Justinian and entourage 84
5.9 Theodora and entourage 84
5.10 Detail of Justinian 85
5.11 Detail of Theodora 85
5.12 Onyx brooch from Osztropataka 86
5.13 Sardonyx brooch from Szilagy-Somly6 86
5.14 Gold brooch from Nagy Mihaly 87
5.15 Chalcedony cameo with busts of Diocletian and Maximian 87
5.16 Earrings from Piazza della Consolazione treasure 87
5.17 Necklace from Lambousa, Cyprus 87
5.18 Lunate necklace from Egypt 89
5.19 Double gold solidus of Constantine 90
5.20 Solidus of Constantine 90
5.21 Aureus of Licinius I 90
5.22 Aureus of Licinius II 90
5.23 Silver bowl of Constantius II 91
5.24 Drawing of detail of ivory diptych of Probus, and drawing
of detail of the colossal statue at Barletta 91
5.25 Solidus of Flaccilla 92
5.26 Dupondius of Livia 92
5.27 Medallion of Helena 92
5.28 Solidus of Licinia Eudoxia 92
5.29 Procession of the Virgins mosaic 93
5.30 Head from Castello Sforzesco, Milan 94
5.31 Detail of knotted tie on the back of Milan head 95
5.32 Side view of Milan head, showing short pendilia 95
5.33 Ivory diptych of Ariadne 96
5.34 Mosaic of Justinian 97
6.1 Visual representations of footwear in painting, sculpture,
and mosaic 102
6.2 Etruscan wooden sandals 103
6.3a Woman's sandal from the terrace of the North Palace 103
6.3b Gold repousse decoration from felt or leather shoes
excavated in a Celtic tomb 103
6.4 Statue of Mercury resting, detail 105
6.5a Greek and Roman sandal strap styles of the Hellenistic period 106
6.5b Sandals worn by Juno 106
6.6 Copies of Athena Parthenos' multilayered platform sandal 107
6.7 Soft sandals worn by street musicians in mosaic 108
6.8 Soft sandal worn by terrified initiate 108
6.9 Apollo Citharedo wearing sandal with buttoned thong 108
6.10 Karyatid wearing unindented platform sandal, Hadrian's Villa, detail 108
6.11 Statue of Marcellus, detail 110
6.12a Sandal soles 110
6.126 Sandal sole with hobnail "follow me" pattern 110
6.13 Sandal development 110
6.14 Sewn slipper 112
6.15 Terracotta foot lamp 112
VIII Illustrations
6.16 Glass sandals 112
6.17 Drawings of sculponeae 113
6.18 Ivory foot from the imperial period 115
6.19a Drawing of carbatina design 115
6.196 Carbatina from an excavation, with modern reconstruction 115
6.20a Cutting pattern for carbatina 117
6.206 Vindolanda carbatina 117
6.21a Etruscan couple, sculpture 118
6.216 Etruscan couple, sculpture, detail showing calcei repandi 118
6.22 Ara Pacis, detail 120
6.23a Statue of Marcus Aurelius 120
6.236 Statue of Marcus Aurelius, detail 120
6.24 Statue of empress 121
6.25 Enclosed shoeboot calcei 121
6.26 Eyelet shoeboot calceus sewn up the toe 121
6.27a Reconstruction of the Mainz caliga 124
6.276 Actual preserved caliga with hobnailing intact 124
6.28 Spirit of Rome 124
6.29 Statue of Mars, detail 124
6.30 Statue of magistrate, detail 126
6.31 Well-preserved child's sock 126
10.1 Palmyrene mortuary relief 168
10.2 Palmyrene relief of cameleers and equestrians 168
10.3a Palmyrene relief of gods and dedicant 169
10.36 Detail of the gods Ashur, Ashu, and Astarte-Belti 169
10.4 Palmyrene mortuary relief 170
10.5 Palmyrene mortuary relief 170
10.6 Basalt relief from Khaltan, Syria 170
10.7 Basalt relief from Khaltan, Syria 170
10.8 Palmyrene fragment of arch with Victory 171
10.9a Relief of the Gad of Dura 171
10.96 Detail of head of priest 171
10.10 Palmyrene male togate figure 172
10.11 Palmyrene woman in palla 172
10.12 Palmyrene relief of the Ashtarte(?) and the Tyche of Palmyra 173
10.13 Palmyrene mortuary bust 173
10.14 Dura-Europos Victory panel 175
10.15 Dura-Europos relief of Zeus-Kyrios 176
10.16 Dura-Europos synagogue mural detail of "witnesses"
before Ahasuerus and Mordecai 176
10.17 Dura-Europos synagogue mural detail 177
10.18 Dura-Europos synagogue mural detail of the finding of the
infant Moses 177
10.19 Hatra, statue of Ubal 178
10.20 Hatra, graffito 178
10.21 Relief of solar deity 178
11.1 Tunic with clavi 185
11.2 Notched decoration from a mantle 185
11.3 Gamma-shaped design from a mantle 185
11.4 Weavers' marks from mantles 185
11.5 Samuel annointing David, west wall of synagogue of
Dura-Europos 187
11.6 Infancy of Moses, west wall of synagogue of Dura-Europos 187
Illustrations 1x
12.1 Augustus of Prima Porta 192
12.2 Augustus of Prima Porta, breastplate 193
12.3 Augustus of Prima Porta, detail showing the principal scene
at the center of the breastplate 193
12.4 Augustus of Prima Porta, detail showing the province of
Hispania on the breastplate 193
12.5 Augustus of Prima Porta, detail showing the province of
Gaul on the breastplate 193
12.6 Julio-Claudian cuirassed statue, breastplate 198
12.7 Early Flavian cuirassed statue 198
12.8 Sestertius of Vespasian 198
12.9 Sestertius of Domitian 198
12.10 Late Flavian cuirassed statue 200
12.11 Late Flavian cuirassed torso 201
12.12 Late Flavian cuirassed statue, breastplate 201
12.13 Late Flavian cuirassed statue 202
12.14 Late Flavian cuirassed statue, detail showing Victoria Augusta
and Tellus on the breastplate 202
12.15a-b Sestertius minted by Domitian under Titus 202
12.16 Late Flavian cuirassed statue, detail showing the German
captive on the breastplate 204
12.17 Late Flavian cuirassed statue, detail showing the Dacian
captive on the breastplate 204
12.18 Late Flavian cuirassed statue, detail 205
12.19 Cuirassed statue of Trajan 206
12.20 Cuirassed statue of Trajan, breastplate 207
13.1 The 1988 NEH Summer Seminar participants modeling the costumes 214
13.2a Etruscan priestess wearing palla 214
13.2b Modeling the Etruscan priestess 215
13.3 Modeling Agrippa and the barbarian child 215
13.4 Modeling the Flamen Dialis and the Rex Sacrorum 216
13.5 Tunic of Roman matron 218
13.6a Female banqueter wearing a tunic 219
13.6b Modeling the female banqueter 219
13.7 Dancing girl from Herculaneum 219
13.8a Karyatid from Hadrian's Villa 220
13.8b Reverse of Karyatid 220
13.9a-c Patterns for woman's tunic and palla 221
13.10 Patterns for man's tunic and tebenna 222
13.11 Pattern for Arringatore tunic and toga 223
13.12 Pattern for woman's tunic made from two rectangles of cloth 223
13.13a Peplos of Herculaneum dancing girl 224
13.13b Longer overfold peplos belted at the waist 224
13.14 Double-belted tunic 225
13.15a Pattern for peplos with overfold to waist 226
13.15b Peplos made from queen- or king-size sheet, belted under
the breasts 226
13.16 Hellenistic garment on the Drunken Old Woman 227
13.17 Palla worn fully covering figure 230
13.18 Togate figure 230
13.19 Pattern for the imperial toga 231
13.20 Patterns for the paenula and the cucullus 231
13.21 Pattern for lacerna 232
x Illustrations