Rags and Riches: The Costume of Athenian Men in the Fifth Century

Abstract

At the beginning of the fifth century there was a change in the style of clothing worn by Athenian men.1 When Thucydides speaks of it,2 he first describes how the Greeks of ancient times used to carry weapons in everyday life, just as the barbarians of his own day still did. The Athenians were the first to lay weapons aside and to take up a relaxed and more luxurious way of life.

The taming of the aristoi – an ancient Greek civilizing process?

“…Again, it is well elucidated by Thucydides (1.6) who writes:The first who started to wear the simpler style of clothes, which are still in use today, was the Spartans. There, the rich also changed their lifestyle in other respects, so that they thereby were equal to the people in the highest degree.The ancient historian A. G. Geddes has in an interesting study (1987) explained how Greek clothing went from a more luxurious Ionic-Lydian style of dress to a more ‘Spartan’ one in the form of a short chiton with a large cloak [ himation ]. Here he finds the reason in the fact that the Athenians by the 5 th century were proud to be: ‘ [L]eisured, fit – fighting fit one might say – equal and like-minded, and that is the message that the clothes are meant to communicate ’ (Geddes, 1987: 331, cf.…”

Aristophanes and de Ste. Croix: The Value of Old Comedy as Evidence for Athenian Popular Culture

“…53 Aristophanes frequently associates the coarse coat and cheap slippers with poor citizens (Waspstt,882;. 54 Cloaks of this period are discussed by Geddes (1987) 311-15; Miller (2010) 317-21. 55 Sommerstein (1983) 185.…”

Les périboles funéraires familiaux à l’époque de Lycurgue : entre aspirations « bourgeoises » et tendances nouvelles

“…En ce qui concerne l'analyse anthropologique des vêtements, comme signes du statut politique, social, économique et religieux des individus, voir GHERCHANOC et HUET 2007, qui font le point sur l'état de la recherche. Voir en particulier, pour l'himation comme uniforme du citoyen, GEDDES 1987 ;COHEN 2001, p. 251-261 ; pour le peplos comme uniforme des filles, ROCCOS 2000 ; pour le voile des épouses, GHERCHANOC 2006 ; pour la nudité athlétique endossée comme un vêtement par les éphèbes, GHERCHANOC 2008. L'emploi des pratiques vestimentaires pour construire les types sociaux a été exploré, dans le cas des sêmata, par DALLA 1992et BENSON 1996 Il y a une bibliographie très volumineuse pour chacun de ces thèmes.…”