Some notes on ancient garment

[Jochen]

Some notes on ancient garment

Many ancient coins show richly draped male and female figures. We have already discussed some of these clothes before. But I think it is interesting to know more about it: what are these clothes, how are they named and which functions have they had.

But there are some basic problems. The ancient literary sources often are not clear, and the presentation in the ancient art underlies its own laws which often don't match the literary sources. The study of ancient garment is a science. That I can't reproduce here. So it is only a short overview. And please remember: the ancient garment has developed in more than thousand years! In these times the clothes have changed naturally. But for our reasons we can reduce the greek garment to three basic forms. These are

1. The Chiton (m.)
2. The Peplos (m.)
3. The Himation (n.)
And we can add too
4. The Chlamys (f.)

The Chiton

The Chiton is the actual main garb of the Greek. It is known from the 4th century BC and was worn by men and women. It could be short, to the knees, or it could be long, fallen to the feet. It was made from linen and had the shape of a rectangle in which one slipped in. So it had not to be fixed on the shoulders by clambs. Mostly it was without sleeves. It could be worn without belt or belted so that there was a plaid, called Ampechonin or Diploidion, which could hide the belt. Often another cloth was worn over the Chiton (see below).

Pics:
1) Priestress of Demeter with belted Chiton
2) Dionysos in short Chiton, belted, long-sleeved (Mesambria AMNG 4018)
3) Artemis with Chlamys over long belted chiton (Hadrianopolis Jurokova 591)

(will be continued)

[Jochen]

(continued)

The Peplos

The Peplos is the classical garment of the greek women. Normally it is from wool, so thicker than the Chiton, and has the shape of a great rectangular, which was put on so that one side has to be closed by a belt. On the shoulders it was fixed by fibulas. It is without sleeves. Because the Peplos is longer than the body the upper part was reversed and so made a plaid on the upper part of the body, the so-called Apoptygma. This plaid then impresses as great plumper, the Kolpos. The Peplos could be worn with a belt under this plaid, but with a belt over the plaid too. Especially attractive was the manifold possibility to drape it which together with the variety of the fabric and the pattern leads to a great range of variation. Under the Peplos normally was worn the Chiton which often could be seen.

Pics:
1) Eirene with Pluton with Peplos over long Chiton (Statue of Kephisodotos, father of Praxiteles)
2) Tyche in underbelted Peplos over long Chiton (Amorion, SNG von Aulock 3419)
3) Demeter in Peplos over long Chiton, long-sleeved, with Kalyptre (Odessos, Moushmov 1659)

(will be continued)

[Jochen]

(continued)

The Himation

The Himation, originated from the Chlaina, became accepted in the 5th century BC. It is the mantle of the Greek. It too is made from a rectangular cloth and was draped so that the right shoulder remained free. It was not fixed by clambs! To drape a Himation was not easy. Characteristic for the Himation is that its end was thrown over the arm. Famous are the statues of Sophokles and Demosthenes wearing the Himation. Both are wearing the Himation 'achiton', that means without a Chiton underneath. So the right shoulder remains nude. But it could be worn by men and women with a Chiton underneath too. Because of its largeness it was possible to draw it over the head, like Sokrates has done when he turns to the wall to die. When we see a veiled woman on a coin she often wears a Himation. The Himation gave the lady many possibilities to play coquettishly with the veiling. But there was another veil too, the Kalyptre, the headscarf of the ladies which reached to the shoulders. The Himation was in use until the end of ancient times.

Pics:
male:
1) Demosthenes in Himation, Glyptothek in Copenhagen
2) Asklepios in achiton Himation (Serdica, Ruzicka 245)

female:
3) Demeter with Himation over double-belted Chiton
4) Tyche with Himation and long highly-belted Chiton (Markianopolis, AMNG 775)

(will be continued)

[Jochen]

(continued)

The Chlamys

The Chlamys originally was the short cloak of the Thracian warriors which then was adopted by the Greeks. It is made from an ovale cloth and was fixed with a fibula over the left shoulder so that the right shoulder remained free. Actually it was a male garment but worn too f.e. by Artemis as dress for hunting. On depictions the Chlamys often waves behind the figur. Normally it is worn over a short Chiton but could be without too (f.e. Helios)

Only gods were generally nude. This was a symbol for their immaculateness which distinguished them from the mortals.

Pics:
1) Apoll from Belvedere
2) Artemis with Chlamys over short Citon (Nikopolis AMNG 1843)
3) Apollo with Chlamys only (Cremna, SNG France 1528)

Sources:
Margarete Bieber, Entwicklungsgeschichte der griechischen Tracht, Verlag Mann Berlin 1967
Bruhn/Tilke, Kostümgeschichte in Bildern, Verlag Wasmuth Tübingen 1955
Der kleine Pauly
http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/agfc-moyrsmith.html

Best regards

[whitetd49]

Thanks Jochen!  Moderators, this thread should go straight to Classical Numismatics!