Roman public education arose around the eighth century BC. At first it was a small settlement on the left side of the Tiber River. To II – I centuries. BC. it grew into the Roman Empire, thus becoming the locomotive of the development of Europe, the greatest empire that subjugated almost half the world: from the Strait of Gibraltar to Persia, from the British Isles to the Nile Delta.
The influence spreading over a vast territory was due to the fact that many ideas of European peoples about spirituality and social life, as well as traditional values, came from Rome, which, in turn, took them from Ancient Greece. The first trendsetters in Europe were also the Romans, whose clothes are relevant today.
The history of the Roman Empire is divided into three main stages:
- Tsarism (VIII-VI centuries BC).
- The development of the republic (III - I century BC).
- The development of the Roman Empire (I - V centuries AD).
All historical changes can be determined by how the clothes of the Romans were transformed, the description of which is presented in detail below.
general information
Even in ancient times, the Romans developed a detailed and detailed decoration system. So, according to her, the official clothing of the Romans is toga and tunic for men, and for women - table, institute and pall.
Each type of clothing was a single piece of fabric without seams. This feature of Roman clothing was considered a confirmation of commitment to the unique Mediterranean culture, making the Romans representatives of progressive urban civilization.
A special difference of the decoration was that the most popular and universal was the white clothing of the Roman, which could be worn at home, in public places, and at official meetings. This color was considered neutral. It was also popular among the people because the entire territory of the Roman Empire was located in a zone of hot climate, and white, as you know, repels the sun's rays, and in such clothes it is not hot.
Toga as clothing of the ancient Romans
She was considered not just an official vestment, which was worn on special occasions and various serious meetings. Toga - the most popular men's clothing of the Romans - a woolen shirt with short sleeves - was a kind of sign of citizenship of the Roman Empire, belonging to a great civilization. The robe, carved from a white wool cloth with a bright purple stripe, was worn exclusively by senators, representatives of the higher social stratum in Rome.
In the period of the middle republic (an era that lasted from the second half of the 4th to the beginning of the 3rd century BC), special techniques and rules for wearing toga were developed, which were observed until the fall of the Roman Empire in 476.
Tunic
Another popular Roman clothing - a tunic - was a shirt with short sleeves made of wool. Sleeveless options were also widely used. Most often, such decoration was worn with a belt, since a tunic without this accessory was perceived as simple underwear, which made it indecent.
A distinctive feature of this attire was that he did not have a neckline. This was due to the features of the cut. It was impossible to create a full neckline.
A continuous vertical strip of scarlet color was applied to the tunics, which made it possible to distinguish senators and horsemen from ordinary Roman citizens. According to the clothes worn by the senators, there was one wide strip from the collar to the hem. Two narrow strips were applied to the riders' tunics (also from the collar to the hem). These stripes had their name: clavus (literally means “strip”). Accordingly, the senator's tunic was called laticlava ("with a wide strip"), and the riders - called angusticlava ("narrow-band").
Women's clothing: backgrounds
The table was considered as an important element of women's clothing, as toga in men. She showed that the fair sex belonged to the Roman Empire, talked about her social status (tables were supposed to be worn only by wives and mothers, and girls and unmarried ladies did not wear them).
Tables, an important clothing of the Romans, is a short-sleeved wool shirt, similar to an elongated tunic, which is belted under the chest and at the waist. On the statue of Juno, which the sculptor dressed in the clothes of a noble resident of Rome, you can see the only image of tables with a lowered palla. Another feature of Juno's attire was that the tables lacked sleeves.
At present, it is difficult to imagine what the above-described clothing of the Romans looked like. There are no photos of that period for obvious reasons, but paintings and sculptures have not been preserved. In addition, there is no exact data on how long the tables were sewn. But in any case, regardless of the presence or absence of sleeves, it is safe to say that this type of decoration was completely suitable for the ancient Roman canons of draping clothes.
Romans casual robes
The following types of clothing belonged to everyday life: sagum, penula, kamisa, lacerne, palla and many others. The Romans, whose clothes were strictly divided into official and everyday, clearly classified the decoration. So, everyday outfits were an open system, which was constantly updated with new types.
Women's clothing of the Romans - wool lacquer, sagum and palla - were varieties of cloak. As a rule, such decorations consisted of colored pieces of fabric that were worn on top of a toga or tunic and held with the help of an agraph on the neck.
One of the most famous in the history of the lacerne was the moment when Cassius, deciding that he had lost the battle, wanted to end his life. He put on this piece of clothing, and then gave the order to kill himself.
Sagum was a similar piece of dyed fabric. Its only difference from the lacerne was that it was made from thicker and coarser types of fabric.
The sagum was much shorter than the lacerne, and in its shape resembled a square. He gained the greatest popularity among the soldiers who carried out military service in the provinces in the north of the Roman Empire. So, it is known that the statesman Tsetsina walked in a striped sagum. Well, if you consider the cloak as a type of clothing of the Romans, you could see it at the five-time consul of Rome, Claudius Marcellus, at Tertullian and at many other figures of politics, art and culture.
Cloak in Ancient Rome
This is an outfit that many Romans loved very much. Clothing of this type played the role of drapery. It is worth saying that this type of decoration was common to all the peoples of the Mediterranean. Other types of Roman clothing (for example, a shirt and a penul) are variations of cut and sewn materials, and cutting and sewing are foreign occupations to the Roman people, so they are definitely not Roman in origin.
Footwear
Shoes in the Roman Empire became widespread, since the state introduced a special law, according to which it became the duty of all citizens to wear it. The most expensive products were intended for consuls, senators and warriors. Sandals were considered the most popular type of shoes , as they could be worn by representatives of all walks of life. In addition, free citizens were allowed to wear high-rise calcareous boots.
Representatives of the aristocracy wore similar boots with jewelry in the form of silver buckles and black leather straps. Ordinary Roman residents wore the same shoes, but only without decorations. Imperial, of course, differed from all the calcium: they had a bright purple color. Because of this, the proverb "Put on purple shoes" appeared in Rome, which meant taking the throne of the state.
Soldiers and a traveler were invited to wear kaligi - high boots made of rough leathers. They differed in that they had open fingers and a massive sole lined with nails.
Peasant shoes were kurbatins, which were made from a piece of rough leather and fastened with straps.
Headwear and hairstyles
The Romans borrowed some types of hats from the Greeks. As a rule, hats and hats were made of felt fabric, cow leather and straw. There were often cases when women used part of the floor, which was thrown over their heads, as a headdress. Men often used the toga edge for this purpose.
Until the 1st century BC it was considered honorable for men to have a long beard and hair, but later, with the advent of a new era, short haircuts and smoothly shaved faces became fashionable.
Hairstyles of women of Ancient Rome, as well as modern women, were distinguished by a variety of species. Some ladies curled their hair in curls, while others braided long braids or lowered their hair to their necks, lifted them to the crown, wrapped their braids around their heads, etc. In addition, many types of hairstyles were very often complemented with fashion accessories like kokoshniks, as well as with hairpins, wreaths or tiaras.
Accessories for the inhabitants of Rome
The period of formation and prosperity of the Roman Empire was marked by rapid economic development and social growth. People began to live in abundance, so there was a need to supplement everyday clothes with some original jewelry. So, on men one could see large rings, medallions and buckles. Women often wore gemstones and precious wood brooches on dresses, and many rings were put on their fingers.
Body care
It is known throughout the world that the main hygiene lovers in antiquity were the Romans. Their clothes were washed in the aqueducts. Many residents of the city had access to various cosmetics, including substances for hair coloring, aromatic oils, artificial teeth, false eyebrows, body paint and much more. It was very popular to use cosmetologist slaves, who were called cosmetics and tonors.