Over the several centuries of its existence, ancient Roman society and its way of life changed significantly. At first, the cut and style of ancient Roman clothing was greatly influenced by the Greek tradition, however, over time, the clothing was transformed and acquired a completely different look. This was influenced by the militarized nature of the Roman Empire and contact with other peoples and their traditions. How did clothing change in Ancient Rome and what were its main elements?
Clothing in Ancient Rome It was made from sheep's wool, flax, and silk, which was brought from the East. These fabrics made it possible to create robes reminiscent of Greek tunics and togas, draped with numerous folds. In later times, denser fabrics became popular, changing the silhouette and cut of clothes, making them more case-like.
The colors of clothing become more complex over time. White, popular in the early period of Roman history, gradually became a solemn color; people wore it only on holidays, but in everyday life they preferred bright and rich shades. In later times, Roman clothing began to abound in embroidery with complex geometric patterns. However, only wealthy people could afford it.
Outerwear in ancient Rome
Outerwear could tell a lot about its owner, his social status and ethnicity. The everyday outerwear of the male population in Rome was sheep wool toga, but only citizens could wear it. A purple toga was an attribute of a winner, a gray or black robe was a sign of mourning. There were also special togas for minor boys, clergy and candidates for official positions.
The toga was a semicircular piece of material that was wrapped around the body over the left shoulder, forming many draperies. It was not entirely comfortable to wear such a robe every day, so very quickly it turned into a formal one and gradually fell out of use. In everyday life, the Romans began to use penula - warm raincoat made of thick fabric, which was worn over the head. Thus, the body was covered on all sides, the head could be protected by a hood. Roman soldiers also wore a similar cloak; it differed from the usual civilian cloak in its short length and the presence of a clasp on the right shoulder.
Women's outerwear there was a palla cloak that went down to the ankles. The palla could go down freely or be secured with a belt at the waist. This cloak was made from fine wool; there were several options for its cut, as well as color options.
Men's and women's clothing in Ancient Rome was at first quite heavy and bulky, slowing down movement, so over time the cut evolved into a simpler and more comfortable one. This was greatly facilitated by the contacts of the Romans with the barbarian states of Europe.
Men's clothing in Ancient Rome
Men's clothing in ancient Rome was presented tunics various cuts, some of which were very reminiscent of Greek attire. They were made from linen or wool, and their length reached the knees. As a rule, tunics were loose shirts and were belted at the waist. They dressed over the head, for which there was a slit on the chest.
The appearance of the tunic depended on the social status of its owner. Peasants and slaves wore simple, dark, mostly brown clothing. Aristocrats they preferred white and decorated their clothes with embroidery, inlaid stones and precious clasps. By the tunic one could distinguish a senator from a commander, and from an ordinary soldier or priest.
Men's tunics They were sewn without sleeves, since they were considered a sign of effeminacy, but young men from aristocratic families sometimes liked to shock society by appearing on the street in the female version of the tunic with sleeves and a veil on their heads.
A toga was worn over the tunic. Often men wore several tunics one on top of the other.
Trousers were not worn in ancient Rome, they were considered the clothing of barbarians, unworthy of citizens of a great empire. However, the soldiers who served on the northern borders still had to put on this unusual item of clothing to withstand the cold.
Women's clothing of Ancient Rome
At first, the daily clothing of Roman women was a longer type of tunic. As wealth grew, it was replaced by the table - a wide tunic with many folds and short sleeves. This robe reached to the feet, its bottom was decorated with ribbons or frills, and the waist was fastened with a belt. The basis of women's clothing Ancient Rome had graceful draperies that flowed downwards, and the table was no exception. This form of clothing was considered the privilege of free married women who have an impeccable reputation.
The color scheme of women's outfits was very diverse and distinguished by brightness and richness. For example, the bride's attire consisted of a long, bright red pala dress, which was worn over a tunic, and an orange veil was thrown over the girl's head. In everyday life they wore clothes in yellow, golden, blue, green and gray shades.
Instead of underwear Roman women used a lower tunic with a loincloth, over which was worn an upper tunic, and then a draping cloak, the palla or penula. Roman women used them or special veils to cover their heads from street dust. Headdresses of any kind were rarely used, in part because women of the Mediterranean Empire placed great importance on hair care and elaborate hairstyles.
The Romans wore sandals and shoes made of soft leather, which were decorated with embroidery and metal details. An important addition to clothing were numerous decorations made of precious metals and stones.
The clothing of Ancient Rome still attracts attention from designers and fashion fans because it allows you to create a beautiful silhouette. Thus, the aesthetic ideals of the Empire continue to exist, being further proof of the enormous contribution that ancient Roman culture made to the development of human civilization.
Shoes in ancient Rome
Types of Roman Shoes
A. Feather - shoes without a heel that covered the ankle were used throughout;
B. Calceus - shoes were worn with a dress and worn outside the home;
C. Calceus Patricius - closed shoes with transverse straps;
D. Caligae - used in the army, and was reinforced with iron or copper nails;
E. Soleae - shoes worn at home.
The Roman Empire is one of the most interesting periods of ancient history, and history in general, because it was Rome that largely influenced the further development of pan-European culture and civilization. Therefore, it is especially interesting to research about what life was like in ancient Rome, and in particular, what kind of clothing Roman citizens wore. Our article is devoted to this interesting topic.
First of all, it should be noted that over the several centuries of the existence of ancient Roman society, both the style of Roman clothing and Her Majesty’s fashion changed. After all, it would be naive to think that for several centuries Roman fashionistas used the same clothes; we don’t wear our grandmothers’ dresses, although, of course, some elements of ancient Roman clothing remained unchanged over the centuries. Initially, fashion influenced the cut and style of Roman clothing, but later Roman clothing was significantly transformed and acquired a different appearance. This transformation was influenced by both the militarized nature of the Roman state and close contact with other peoples, for example, the same ones.
Roman clothing in ancient Rome was made from sheep's wool, flax, and silk, which were brought along the Silk Road from far away. Thanks to these materials for clothing, tunics and togas were created, reminiscent of Greek ones, draped, with many folds. Later, thick fabrics became very popular, changing the silhouette and cut of clothes. The colors of clothing also changed, it is often customary to depict Romans in white tunics and togas, and it was really popular in the early period of Roman history, but over time, bright and rich colors began to predominate more and more in the daily life of the Romans. White became a solemn color, and people wore it only on holidays.
Interesting fact: in the late Roman period, clothes with various embroideries with complex geometric patterns became very popular, although only wealthy people could afford such clothes.
Outerwear in ancient Rome
It was outerwear in that distant era that could tell a lot about its owner, his social status and ethnicity. The everyday outerwear of Roman men was a toga made of sheep's wool, but only citizens of Rome had the right to wear it. A purple toga symbolized victory, a gray or black toga was a sign of mourning. Special togas existed for clergy, candidates for public office and for underage boys.
What is a Roman toga? This is a semicircular piece of material that is wrapped around the body over the left shoulder. The toga was not entirely comfortable for daily wear, so over time it began to be worn only for various special events (we admit that for some Roman men the toga was as unloved as a suit and tie for some modern men).
In everyday life, Roman men, instead of a toga, were more willing to wear a warm cloak made of thick fabric, which was put on over the head; this cloak was called penula. It is curious that often the penula also had a hood, which could be used to cover the head in case of bad weather. In particular, it was the favorite clothing of Roman soldiers.
An interesting fact: among their Celtic neighbors, Roman men acquired the custom of wearing trousers, in which (unlike tunics and togas) it was convenient to ride a horse, and in general it was comfortable (as we see, trousers as an element of clothing did not lose their popularity even after present day). Although trousers did not immediately come into use in Roman society, as they were considered barbaric clothing, at first they were worn only by Roman legionnaires, who appreciated their great convenience.
As for Roman women, they wore a palla cloak as outerwear, which went down to the ankles. Moreover, it went down both freely and was secured with a belt at the waist.
Men's clothing in ancient Rome
Men's clothing in ancient Rome consisted of tunics of various cuts. These tunics were very reminiscent of Greek ones; they were made from linen or wool. They reached the knees in length. Tunics were worn over the head and looked like loose shirts that were belted at the waist.
The appearance and color of the tunic depended on the social status of the owner. For peasants and commoners they were simple, black or brown. While noble Roman patricians dressed in white tunics, which were additionally decorated with embroidery, precious clasps, and inlaid with precious stones. By the appearance of the tunic you could tell who was standing in front of you, a commander or a senator, an ordinary soldier or a priest.
Also, men's tunics were made without sleeves, which were considered a sign of effeminacy. And some Roman youths, wanting to shock the public with their shocking antics, sometimes appeared on the street in the female version of the tunic with sleeves.
Women's clothing in ancient Rome
At first, the daily clothing of Roman women was a longer women's tunic with sleeves. Then it was replaced by a wider tunic with many folds and short sleeves. This tunic reached the feet, and was fastened at the waist with a belt.
The basis of Roman women's clothing was elegant draperies that went down. Women's clothing in ancient Rome had a variety of colors, which were distinguished by brightness and saturation. For example, the clothing of a Roman bride was a long tunic of bright red color; an additional orange veil was placed on her head. In everyday life, women wore tunics of golden, blue, green and gray colors.
The lower tunic with a loincloth was used as underwear; the upper tunic was already put on it, and then the palla cloak.
Shoes in ancient Rome
The main footwear of the Romans were sandals and shoes made of soft leather. Sometimes they were decorated with embroidery and metal details.
What clothes were like in ancient Rome, what Roman men and women wore. Read the answers to these questions in our article.
The desire to attract attention to one’s person, material and social status, and taste with the help of clothing is by no means a modern trend, because this trend was observed back in Ancient Rome.
What clothes did the inhabitants of Ancient Rome wear?
Based on the data obtained during archaeological excavations, it can be concluded that class differentiation was clearly visible in the clothing of the inhabitants of Ancient Rome, as well as differences between women's and men's outfits. So the weaker sex for a long time preferred ancient Greek costumes, while men wore Roman togas and cloaks. The toga was considered the ceremonial clothing of a wealthy Roman, which was worn at official events such as public games, sacrifices and other equally important events.
The tunic, which was made of linen and wool, was very popular in Ancient Rome. Its length and colors varied depending on class and gender. The ankle-length, sleeved tunic was considered clothing for women in Ancient Rome. The men's tunic reached to the knees, and warriors and travelers preferred short robes. Only wealthy citizens had the right to wear a white tunic; purple vertical stripes were the privilege of senators and equestrians.
The characteristic clothing of women of Ancient Rome was considered a stola - a tunic with short sleeves and many folds, tied with a belt. Typically made in light shades with a purple frill at the bottom.
A striking example of outerwear in Ancient Rome was the palla, presented in the form of a piece of soft fabric thrown over the shoulder and wrapped at the waist. According to their appearance and cut, pallas were divided into several groups:
- penula - a narrow cloak without sleeves;
- kukul - a short cape with a hood;
- Lacerna - a knee-length cloak open at the front, fastened with a fibula at the shoulder.
Over time, fashion in the Roman Empire began to show its variability and the table and outerwear - palle - were replaced by dalmatica and colobium. In addition, color compositions, ornaments, and silk fabrics came into use.
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Ancient Rome, the abode of powerful rulers and brave military leaders. All the richness of ancient Roman culture could not help but be reflected in the clothes of this people. There are two main stages in the development of Roman costume: republican and imperial. The clothing of the ancient Romans of the republican stage is characterized by rigor and functionality, while the imperial one, on the contrary, focuses on the attitude of the owner of the clothing to a particular class. The imperial stage represented a greater variety and splendor of attire.
The costume of the ancient Romans was not very diverse. Basic items of clothing were the same even between segments of the population. Both the poor man and the rich man wore almost the same thing. The main difference was in the materials and additional decorations. The clothing of men and women was also similar, but there were several distinctive features.
Male
The first and main piece of clothing of the ancient Roman was the tunic. In those days, it was considered to be underwear, over which the main garment was worn. A tunic is an item worn over the head.
There were three main types of this attire:
- Colobium;
- Talaris;
- Dalmatica.
The colobium tunic featured short sleeves and a belt included. Talaris, on the other hand, had long sleeves. This type of tunic was worn by people of high position. Dalmatics are considered to be the clothing of the first Roman Christians. It is a tunic with long wide sleeves, which when unfolded resembles a cross.
What other clothes did ancient Roman men wear?
- Toga - she was the main representative of outerwear. This is a large long cape worn over a tunic. The size of this piece of clothing was truly impressive: approximately 6 m of material by 1.8 m. The toga was a garment that embodied the national dignity of the Romans. They often called themselves “the people dressed in togas.” Only true Romans who were pure before the law could wear a toga. Foreigners, slaves and criminals had no right to wear it;
- Semi-damentum - this type of cloak could only be worn by emperors and noble people. It was draped over the back and secured with a special buckle on the right shoulder;
- Lacerna is a cloak that covers the back and shoulders. It was worn for special occasions. It was attached to the front in the middle. Lacerna was made from expensive and beautiful materials and was available only to the highest nobility;
- Penula - considered a lower class cloak. It was made of wool or leather, very often complemented by a hood. The penula was mainly used by travelers and shepherds. For the nobility, a penula made of more expensive materials was provided.
Beginning in the 3rd century AD, trousers came into use among the Romans. They were not very popular and were worn only by soldiers.
The military attire had some specific features. The soldiers wore short woolen cloaks called sagum. Armor was a mandatory element of a military suit. Special protective armor consisted of two parts - front and back - connected by belts and fasteners. Sometimes the hands were also protected with special devices made of metal or leather. On their legs, soldiers wore metal leggings secured with belts.
Legionnaires' footwear was kaligi - protected boots. To protect their heads, soldiers wore metal or leather helmets. Depending on the position of the warrior and his rank, they were decorated with carvings, as well as feathers and horsehair. Semi-damentum 
Lacerna 
Toga 
Penula
Female
Women's clothing in Ancient Rome was similar to men's. Women wore tunics under their main clothes. There were both sleeveless and sleeved robes. Representatives of the nobility wore stola from above. This is a garment very similar to a tunic, however, it differs in various decorations and frills. The stola was an integral item of clothing for women who were married. Appearing in public places without a table was considered bad manners.
Another piece of outerwear was a woman's cloak - palla. It was secured to the body with clasps in the shoulders, which were also called agraphs. Some varieties of this cloak included covering the head.
Fabrics
The Romans most often used woolen fabrics to make clothing. However, some items could also be made from leather. Linen was also a very common material. Noble people could afford light silk robes. The famous Kos silk caused a storm of emotions among the Romans. Someone condemned wearing clothes made of this material, as it seemed too revealing. Someone, on the contrary, did not spare any money on this product. However, as soon as Chinese silk was brought to the Empire, it immediately surpassed all competitors. Despite its high cost, this material was in great demand. For a long time, due to the shortage of pure silk, “half-silk” materials were common. They were made by weaving flax or wool threads into silk. It was only by the 3rd century AD that the Romans had virtually unlimited access to pure silk. It was from this that they began to make clothes for noble and influential people.
Colors
The ancient Roman style of clothing included the use of bright colors: red, lilac, yellow. The color of clothing was assigned a special meaning. In particular, red, being the personification of power, accompanied all emperors and rulers. Triumphant commanders also wore red robes. The association of red with power is no coincidence. At that time, dyeing fabric purple was a labor-intensive and difficult process. Accordingly, a wardrobe of similar colors became very expensive. White was a festive color, and white clothes were worn only on rare occasions.
Ornament
The clothing of the Empire, especially among the nobility, was often decorated with various ornaments. The leaves of plants such as oak, laurel or acanthus were mostly depicted. Also favorite elements were ears of corn, figures of people and animals, skulls and various mythologies. It was often possible to notice images of military trophies and vases on clothing.
Along with aesthetic functions, ornamentation also carried a certain meaning. The robes of antiquity hid information about the deities and spirits that the owner of the item revered. And if at first the originality of Roman symbols was clearly expressed, then later the influence of the East intensified.
The tunic was considered the underwear of the ancient Romans. It was necessarily worn by both men and women under their main clothes. In case of cold weather, very often two or more tunics were worn one on top of the other. Women could wear strophies under their tunics, a prototype of bras. They were leather strips whose purpose was to support the breasts from below. Bathing suits were also known to the Romans. In those days, they were strips of fabric tied around the chest and hips.
Hats
Despite the fact that the Romans adopted a lot from the Greeks, the habit of covering their heads did not take root. Headdresses were considered a specific attribute of priests and judges. A hood or the upper part of a toga, which was thrown over the head, protected from bad weather. If headdresses were worn, they were hats similar to Greek ones. Peasants could wear hats made of straw or leather. Women covered their heads with bandages, nets or round hats. Representatives of the nobility could attach a veil to their headdress that fell over their shoulders. These headdresses are also taken from Greek culture.
Shoes
In everyday life, the Romans preferred light shoes - solea. These were sandals tied to the foot with special straps. Soleas were definitely not suitable for public appearances. Because of this, other footwear also became widespread: boots, shoes.
When going out into the world, the Roman wore ankle boots made of leather, which were called calceus. These shoes covered the owner's entire foot. The color of the shoes also mattered. The emperor could wear a calceus made of red leather, and the senator could wear black. The shoes were decorated with various plaques and brooches. The lower strata of the population were content with wooden shoes or shoes made of rough leather. Women's shoes were made from soft leather of various colors. Noble women wore light-colored shoes framed with pearls or stones.
The influence of Greek culture is very clearly visible in the clothing of the ancient Romans. Much was borrowed practically without changes, however, its own originality is present. The clothing of the ancient Romans was influenced by the strong military component of the life of this people. Not only the conquered territories, but also neighboring empires contributed to culture.
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The Roman soldiers of Septimius Severus looked little different from the soldiers of Augustus who lived two centuries earlier.
In the 3rd century, the Roman Empire experienced a period of political, military and financial turmoil. During the fifty years that elapsed between the assassination of Alexander Severus in 235 and the rise of Diocletian in 284, almost thirty emperors came to power, of whom only three died a natural death.
The straightforwardness of the “soldier emperors,” many of whom came from the rank and file, was reflected in the military uniform the Roman army, which during this period for the first time achieved noticeable uniformity.
In the 3rd century, the long-sleeved tunic became widespread. This tunic spread thanks to the influence of numerous German mercenaries who served in the Roman army.
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German scout, early 3rd century. |
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Germanic warrior, Thorsberg, 3rd century. |
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Palmyra scout. III century. |
| Information: "Military cloth | |
In Roman icons of the 3rd century and later, Roman soldiers were depicted wearing a tunic with long narrow sleeves, a cloak and trousers.
It can be assumed that the wearing of northern European clothing in the Roman army first spread among the soldiers of auxiliary units, then the imperial bodyguards began to dress in this way, and, finally, all legionnaires serving on the northern border of the empire began to wear barbarian clothing.
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Constantius II was the third son of Constantine the Great (306-337). At first he ruled the Eastern Empire, but by 358 he had concentrated power over both parts of the Roman Empire. |
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Protector Sacri Lateris, imperial guard, mid-4th century. |
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Horseman, Equites Catafractarii, mid-4th century. |
Emperor Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Anonius Bassian), according to eyewitnesses, continued to wear Germanic clothing even in Syria and Mesopotamia.
The Roman army had a large number of irregular units, whose warriors were called numerii and cuneii.
The latter were federati (foederati) - German settlers who received land on the territory of the Empire in exchange for an obligation to perform military service.
All irregular units were led by national commanders, usually chiefs, and wore traditional clothing for their tribe. As a result, such units often became trendsetters in new fashions and trends in the imperial army.
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Emperor Alexander Severus, (222-235). |
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Emperor Caracalla (211-217) |
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Emperor Probus (276-282) |
| Information: "Military cloth Rome: from the North to Stilicho. 200-400 ne" | |
When the Danubian army of Septimius Severus marched on Rome, the civilian population, who had only seen these legionnaires on the column of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, was horrified by how the soldiers looked (Dio, LXXV.2.6).
Indeed, the soldiers looked like real barbarians: long-sleeved tunics and trousers (bgasae), which for centuries were considered completely unacceptable clothing for the Romans.
Among other complaints leveled against unpopular emperors like Elagabalus and Komodo was their preference for long-sleeved tunics.
Documents from Egypt written in Greek (the official language of the Eastern Empire) indicate the wearing of various tunics.
The military tunic, known as the sticharion, was decorated with colored stripes (clavi). In addition, the dalmatica tunic had long sleeves, although, judging by the documents, it was worn less often than the sticharion. The name Dalmatic leaves no doubt that this tunic originates from Dalmatia. The soldier emperors who ruled Rome in the 3rd century preferred to wear just such a tunic.
The vast majority of tunics in manuscript illustrations are red or white. Green and blue tunics are much less common. It is generally accepted that the tunics of ordinary legionnaires were white, while the centurions wore red tunics.
| Army of the North | |
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Legionnaire, 193. |
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Praetorian Guard, 193. |
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Roman Falangist, 21 |
| Information: "Military cloth Rome: from the North to Stilicho. 200-400 ne" | |
Another item of clothing that should be mentioned is the camisia. Apparently, this was the name of a tight-fitting linen shirt. The name of this shirt came into Latin from the Germanic language through the Gaulish language.
Later, the camisia was often worn by priests, but before that it was very popular among soldiers.
On the eastern borders of the Roman Empire, it was popular cloth, decorated with embroidery, often made with gold or silver thread. Initially, the Romans despised such fashion as barbaric, but gradually this style cloth became common among emperors, their court and bodyguards.
Some examples of military uniforms were very richly decorated. For example, Claudius Herculanus, an imperial horse guard under Aurelian (270-275), is depicted on his tombstone wearing a tunic or cloak, decorated with an image in the form of a sun with rays. Apparently, this decoration is somehow connected with the cult of the sun god propagated by Aurelian. The design was obviously embroidered with gold thread, which gave it an impressive appearance.
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Tribune of the auxiliary detachment, mid-3rd century. |
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Vexillary of the auxiliary detachment, mid-3rd century. The reconstruction was carried out based on the findings at Dura-Europos. The vexillum is depicted in accordance with one found in Egypt and currently in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. |
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Centurion of the auxiliary detachment, mid-3rd century. |
| Information: "Military cloth Rome: from the North to Stilicho. 200-400 ne" | |
All Aurelian's guards could wear such a pattern. In general, the custom of that time was for the emperor to bestow expensive clothing on his supporters in order to emphasize his favor in particular and the greatness of the regime in general.
Rectangular cloak(sagum) was the most popular type of cloak among Roman legionaries for centuries. The image of this cloak is often found in the visual arts of that time.
But there were other versions of the cloak, some of which were used in the army. Among the alternatives, it should be mentioned cloak With hooded(paenula). This cloak was common in the early period, but by the end of the 2nd century its image almost completely disappears on military tombstones, although it continues to be found on the tombstones of civilians.
In addition, soldiers wearing penules are depicted on the wooden door of the Cathedral of St. Sabina in Rome, dating from the 5th century. It is possible that the penula was the cloak of the Praetorian Guard, since it is very often found on monuments dedicated to the guard. The temporary disappearance of these cloaks may be explained by the disbandment of the Praetorian Guard by Septimius Severus, who replaced the guard with a detachment of bodyguards recruited from provincial soldiers.
Later authors mention another cloak With hooded, the so-called birrus or byrus. In Diocletian's Edict on Prices this cloak appears as byrus Britannicus. Probably, the birrus also looked like a penula, but had an additional flap covering the neck, which made it different from the penula, which had to be worn with a scarf.
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Centurion, III century. |
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Mithraist, Hadrian's Wall, 3rd century. |
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Sailor British fleet, 3rd century. |
| Information: "Military cloth Rome: from the North to Stilicho. 200-400 ne" | |
It is known that different raincoats, and some of them were defined as “military” only. For example, the soldiers of Saturninus wore heavy military raincoats, but in the summer they wore light ones raincoats. Saturninus insisted that the soldiers not film raincoats and during lunch, so as not to expose your legs...
Emperor Aurelian (270-275) opposed silk and gold-trimmed clothing; he owned the aphorism: “The gods forbid fabric that costs as much as gold.” But at the same time, Aurelian did not forbid his soldiers to wear beautiful clothes, and his guard wore especially beautiful golden armor and dress .
From the 3rd century onwards it is very difficult to determine whether a bare-legged man is depicted or a man in tight trousers. The paint on the sculptures has long faded and washed away, but surviving frescoes and mosaics make it possible to determine that tight-fitting trousers were worn tucked into the boots .
The pants were mostly dark in color: gray or chocolate brown. The biographies of the Augustans say that Emperor Alexander Severus wore white trousers instead of the scarlet trousers common at that time.
In addition, the legs could be protected with the help of different types of gaiters. On mosaics and frescoes gaiters often worn by hunters and those who worked outdoors.
Among the list of required equipment and normal rations for Gaius Messiah (probably a mounted warrior) discovered at Masada, as well as a similar list for Quintus Julius Proclus, a mounted warrior from Alexandria, there is mention of such a garment as a fascia, that is, a winding. In both cases, windings are mentioned after boots, which suggests that these are windings or foot wraps.
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Soldiers, IV century. |
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Senior military leader, IV century.
Such headdress was called pillei and apparently came in two main varieties. | ||||||||
