Roman Clothing

citizen, matron, curule magistrate, emperor, general, workman, slave

The Toga

Most ancient statues do not show these stripes, but this wall painting from a lararium in Pompeii depicts both the tunica laticlavia and toga praetexta.

Sometimes their tunics also left one shoulder uncovered, as depicted in this mosaic of a man named Frucius (whose narrow stripes indicate equestrian rank) being attended by two slaves, Myro and Victor.

Slaves were not inevitably dressed in poor clothing, however; Junius, the young kitchen slave depicted in this mosaic, wears a more elegant tunic and a gold neckchain.

depiction of a matron whose elegantly draped palla has a fringe

Statues of the first empress Livia prominently display her stola, even in this one whose head has been lost, a close-up clearly shows the strap of her stola.

  We do not know a great deal about Roman underclothes, but there is evidence that women wore a simple, wrapped loincloth (subligar or subligaculum, meaning “little binding underneath”) at least some of the time. Women also sometimes wore a band of cloth or leather to support the breasts (strophium or mamillare). Both these undergarments can be seen on the women from this fourth-century CE mosaic.

Accessories

Cameo portraits were worn, as in this pendant depicting a married couple.

Gold coins (aurei) were often made into jewelry: a pendant with a coin of the empress Julia Domna, a pendant with garnets and a coin of the emperor Caracalla (son of Julia Domna and Septimius Severus).

Silver was used less frequently, as in this medallion with chain or this bracelet with a portrait of a child.

an armband with coins of Caracalla and his wife Plautilla

Bibliography       Akiko G. Kayoko S. and Seung Yeob L. Ancient Rome. March 25, 2001. http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/rome/eg_rome_menu1.html   Lin and Don Donn. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. March 25, 2001. http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Romelife.html#HAIR   McManus, Barbara. Roman Clothing. April 4, 2001. http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing.html   Roma, History and Civilization of the Eternal City. March 26, 2001. http://cyberfair.gsn.org/citrag/roma/eng_home.htm   Roman Life. March 25, 2001. http://www.dl.ket.org/latin1/things/romanlife/index.htm   The daily life in Rome. March 26, 2001. http://library.thinkquest.org/22866/English/Romday/RomDag.html   The Romans Page. March 25, 2001. http://ireland.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/intro.html