GARMENTS OF THE GODS  ON INTERPRETING CLOTHING ON DEPICTIONS FROM THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2020-11-19

What are the meanings of garments on ancient depictions? Is there a thematic correlation between clothing and the wearer? Whatsignificance do these elements have for our interpretations? So far, these fundamental questions have only scarcely been touchedupon with regard to the Classical Greek Period. Interpretative approaches often purely rely on social identification models. But can the choice of garments depicted be interpreted solely with monocausal explanatory models? If one looks at the polyvalent Greek myths, it becomes apparent that for a certain figure several, often co-existing role models exist. An in-depth examination of the iconography of female garments on the basis of the sculptures of the fifth century BC has revealed that a differentiated understanding of the myths is also reflected in their clothing. For example, Nike, which would be well suited for a well-assigned dress pattern, is presented in different variations of the Peplos. These and other sculptures from classical antiquity prove that the reasons for choosing a particular garment are complex. Instead of approaching this phenomenon with a monocausal premise in mind, different, additive levels must be taken into account when interpreting garments. For example, depictions of the goddess of victory often draw upon the display of fast movement, flying and the influence of the elements whereas the social meaning is more a connotation superimposed by other contents. I will argue that the choice of garment was influenced by many different factors (e.g. context, movement patterns, timing, functionality, scene) which have to be taken into account for the interpretation. In my presentation, I will offer a methodical contribution for a systematic, polycausal approach to the interpretation of antique garments which has not yet been formulated clearly. This provides a deeper understanding of clothing as a polyvalent information carrier beyond the social role of the wearer.


Author(s): Streicher, Martin (Classical Archaeology at the Universities of Mainz and Bonn)