The Sun.
London, England, 1820-12-25 00:00:00

FOREIGN LITERATURE:

• ON THE DRESS OF THE ANTIENTS.
'A Paler on this subject.. by M. MONGEZ was
meeting
to; have been read at the last of
.the
French Academy of Belles Lettres, from which
the following remarks are extracted

" We first observe loag.and fuil. dresses worn by the in-
habitants.of warm countries, and in temperate climates, by'
those nations whose' stares alone were employed- in the most
laborious works, and mecasinnally in the cultivation of the
liberal arts which were held in little estimation by their
masters; these were- in the. East, tile Persians, the 'l.:ydians,
thetheeks of lonia, and most of the other Asiatic nations,
the Carthagirians and a few of the other inhabitants' of•
Africa. In -like manner the citizens of Keine, and of those
cities which submitted to her Einpire, walked shout wrapped
up in a large cloak, called the toga, wlJich was more than
16 feet wide.
" But this was not the case with the Romans employed in
works of husbandry, nee with the 'labouring clasSes at Rome,
whom Horace calls the vest-wearing crowd (tunicatus po•
pellusejep. 1,7. 65.) „To work more at theirease,they wore
only the vest without the toga,' appearing like modern la-
bourers after, titer have thrown off their cents. The slaves
did the same, except when they went into the streets, and then
they-' put on a cloak.
" What has been just stated of the working classes of Rome,
is equally applicable to the ,people of the north and south of
Europe. All were clothed in dresses which were very short,
and fitted close to the body Martial-characterizes in de-
rision a Gaul, by his cloak, which scarcely reaches as low as
the thighs.
" Dimidias nates-Gallica•palla teeit. Mart. I. 95.
" In several-towns in the Eastern departments of France
many antient 111CMUIllelltS may yet he seen, on which some
Gattiish figures are carved, wrapped: in a mantle like the
penula of the Romans, or wearing a loose cloak fastened
with a clasp, the sueerem; these •cloaks do not reach lower
than the calf of the leg. The people inhabiting the left
bankmf thesDanube, .ace represented iu like manner on Tra-
jan's column.
"Hence it may be said, that long and full dresses were worn
among indolent nations, and short and close garments by
those - who were actite and laborious. Here it is necessary
to melte one observation which applies to all inquiries re-
spectingdress; which is, that no fixed or positive rule ye-
gariling it can be established, on account of the exceptions
which are every day Itrought to light by newly discovered
monuments. •
" To the same class the following remark belongs, relative
to the mode of wearing the hair. The Asiatics, Africans, and
Europeans, with the exception of the Greeks mud Romans,
wore the hair lung or very long ; whilst -that of the inhabi-
tants of Greece and Rome, except the Lacedemonians, was
always short. Asia, particularly, in this respect, exhinits
singular revolution. Before the introduction of Mohain,
medanisni the people of Asia wore the hair very long, espe-
cially the Peesiaus and their kings, who loaded their heads
'with a quantity of false hair ; but since that event, long hair
has disappeared 'among the Persians, Turks, &c. What was
the causeeof this chance? Did the• Mohammedans, in the
first ages of their religion, and during the fervour of their prise
miller zeal, practise ablutions of the head, which rendered
it necessary ? I cannot give any srisfactory answer to this
question. Perhaps a very simple one may he found—the in-
fluence of Fashion.
Since I. have pronounced the name of this inconstant and
despotic Sovereign, I ought, in spite of those angry spirits,
who deem e that her powt r is confined to the moderns, to
pence that the Greeks and Romans were, like us, subject to
her influence.
" The'Greeks wore the beard rather short from the earliest
known periods (At/ern. Deipn. VIIi. IS2) but in the time of
Alexander they cut it quite close. A few years after, some
Sitilian barbers, Greeks, no doubt, arrived at Rome ; the Ro-
mans then began tteshave their beards, and Scipio Africanus
the younger (Plia..H. N. VII. 50.) was the first who adopted
daily this new custom. It lasted till the reign of Hadrian,
who wished to attract public notice by appearing in a fashion
different train the people. .The Spartan historian assigns as
a reason that he was desirous of concealing the sc!trs un his
face. Be that as it -may, he ‘vas Unitated by the Romans and
by their subjects the Greeks-, who got rid of their beards it
second time under Constantine, and suffered it to grow long
its the reigns ofJustinian and his successors.
" Among the Aucieuts, fashion exercised its influence en
other points, besides the form and the texture of their dress ;
coquetry- (if such a term may he permitted in a discussion ou
grave subjects)—coquetry exercised also its power. The
Greeks and Romans studied how to carry. the cloak with
grace. To accomplish that picturesque effect and-those beau-
*tit fedde, veisitieeteorretitute the charm of . aretient.. drapers;
they attached to the corners of their cloaks acorns, which, by
their weight, enabled them to adjust at pleasure these light
stuffs.
" The cloak characteristic of the Romans, the toga, which
is double the size of the Greek cloak, and evidently
Asiatic origin, was likewise the object of the most minute
solicitude. Tcrtullian (tie Pall. v. 27) tells its that ' a work-
man was engaged in at renginl it the whole of the day.pre-
ceding that eir which it was to re wens; he berated the folds
and followed them in their 'several Curtis and windings; he
adjusted with a species of pincers the studied mass of folds
which covered the breast: and when he had put the toga on
the person for whom it was prepared, he examined each care-
fully to be certain that it had retained its position ; and
lastly.lie supported those in front by a light plat of the twigs
of time Lindentree.' We may form an idea of the importance
attached by the Rowan orators -to the proper arrangement of
the folds of their toga : Ist, by the space which Quintilian
(lib. xi. c. 3) has detailed to the discussion of this subject ;
2dly, by observing that one of the speakers in the Dialogue
.on Oratory, written by Quint ilian, or by a cotemporary
author, reckons, among the cause of the decline of eloquence,
the disuse of the toga by theßoman lawyers, and their adop-
tion of the pessula, a species of 'coat which was narrow and
confined; 3dly, by the description given by Macrobins
(SANE!' ii, c. 9) of the Orator Hortensius, the rival of Cicero :
this man, he says, celebrated for a studied effeminacy of
manners, and • who considered the art of arranging dress as
the perfection of eloquence, was a coMplete fop., He examin-
ed himself its a looking glass from head to foot to see whether
he was tastefully dressed ; and when he put on his toga, he
took infinite pains that every fold should preserve its artifi-
cial position, and bear evident marks of the most studious
preparation, and not appear the effect of chairce? • What
Macrobios afterwards relates of this orater is still More. re--
Walkiog one day thins foppishly dres,ed, he net
one of his eolleagues in a 'tallow passage who accidentally
spoiled the arrangement of his toga, and immediately brought
an action against him, considering the derangement of a siugle
fold on his shoulder as a capital crime.'
' Even Horace, whit gives frequently such heautAll les-
sons in philosophy, relates with great gravity the smiles of
contempt with which a man is received, whose toga is longer
on one side than the other; Si toga dissidct jasper, rides,
Epist. I. 96.
" A passage from the Romance of' The Loves of Ismenias
and Ismene,' (lib, iv. n. 3.) informs us, that the Greeks, at
least those of the. 12th century, in which the Author Eusta-
tius lived, were sandals made of very shining leather. He
says, speaking-of a young. wan elegantly dressed, .whose por-
trait was introduced into a paintlue which he describes, that
the grass on which he trod-
was reflected in his 'sandal, the
.Same as in a mirror; so much pains had the painter bestowed
iu delineating every part of his dress.'
" What I 3111 going to relate would scarcely be; credited, if
it did not appear in the Homily of a Bishop who" lived in the
loarth century, mid who would not advert to a -fashion if it
were not daily before the eyes of Isis congregation. Asturius,
Bishop of Arnasia, thus expresses himself in his Homilies on
Lazarus: ' These worldly men have invented anew art, equal-
ly writs as useless (the art ot weaving), which by the COMbilla-
-110118 of the warp and woof imitates painting, and re presents
on stuffs the forme of animals. By this Means, they procure
nt a great expence•for themselves, , their wives and children,
a dress of divers' colours, and covered with a number of
figures.—When they go out thus clothed, passengers look.at
them as So many painted walls, children surround them laugh-
ing and
.poiating their fin4ers at the paintings.—There are
heirs, panthers, bears, hulls, dogs, huntsmen, in a word, all
that can exhibit the ingenuity of the artist, in imitating me-
ture. It was not SttiliCiellt, it seems, that their walls and
houses should he painted, but they must also have the vests
and cloaks which cover their own bodies decorated in tike
manner.'
" The sacred Orator then adds what is. still more extraor-
dinary—"fhose amour the affluent,' he says, who are dis-
tinguished tor their piety, cause the weavers to introduce
into their manufacture subjects taken from the Evangelists;
Cerist with all his disciples, and each of his ntiracles, as they
are recorded in the sacred bootie. You will there see the
Marriage at Cana, with the pitchers; the Paralytic taking
up his bed en his shoulders;. the Blind restored to Sight; the
Wom.m with a bloody issue touching the 'hens of our Sa
vittur's gat Lutist ; and Lazarus restored to Life front the
Grave.'
" After these details of refined luxury, it may be curious to

observe tie► conduct exhibited by the Lactdoionians. When
not engager' in any military expeditions, bey •wore no vest.
but simply a cloak, which fowled their dress at all seasons'

and W•ai inadcof coarse stuff. Demosthenes also states, that
'some of the Athenians, by an inexplicable whitu, affected ,on
the banks of the Ilissies; to appear in the plain dress-of the
Spartans, the constart epemies of their country. e lie repre-
sents diem (dicers. C9n6n, 732.) as wearing coarse cloaks,
very. plain sandals, and assuming an austete countenance.'
" If the bullies which have bit en' narrated, exhibit the hu-
man race iii an unfavourable light, I can produce an instance
of greatness of mind with respect to dress, which reflects
great honour on the woolen of Chios, • and which is recorded
by Polyenns in his collection of the stratagems of warjStra-

tem viii.) The inhabitants of this island, vanquiSlted by the
Erythrcans, hoUnd themselves by an oath to quit the island,
each carrving away only a vest with a species of cloaii, calved
!e'en. Their wives,' says the within., ‘. with, grief saw their
husbands take their departure without arms; but the •latter
referred to the oath by Which they were bound.. Then the
women advised them not to abandon their arms, and•tii say
at it was their' ustom to,call the spear, lerys, and.the allele,

a yes,.
" It has been generally imagined, that in Greece, and at
Rome, the slaves wore a different dress from the. citizens.
This conjecture can only be correct as applied to the Greeks.
The latter compelled their slaves to wea' the ban very short,
a small cloak, and;► vest of a whimsical shape. The 'lonians
treated their slaves, in relation to their dress, apparently
with more humanity. Appian says (B. C. 11. pag. 520.) that
their dress differed in no respect froth that of their miisters
except the laticlavo, art ornament worn only by Senators.
The reason of this conduct, so different from that. of the
Greeks, may be attributed to the small number of slaves in
Greece, and the multitudes of them among the Itothans,
Urassus reckoned them at many thousands. It was proposed
in the Senate, says Seneca (de Perm sit,- 1, 24.) to give their
slaves a dress to distinguish !lout from the freemen; but it
was feared that this dress would slow the slaves that their
masters were not so numerous as themselves.' Alexander
Severus had the sa4ne intention Cbut. the learned Paulus
and
•Ulpiati. dissuaded him ficini it,, foreseeing its 'dreadful.
consequences. '
" Luxury in dress was carried to greater excess among the
Romans than is generally imagined. Sotne of the Empresses
had mantles manufactured of gold - and silver, Without any
intermixture of thread or silk. This last article was sold at
Rome fur its weight in gold, because it was brought front
Asia, and the silk-worm.was not known ,in Europe until the
reign of Justinian in the gilt century.
Notwithstanding- its great price, the dress of rich women
and effeininate men consist,,d alniost entirely of it.
" Almost all substances were fabricated into dresses.for the
ancients ; the hair of the camel, the goat, and the hare; the
skins of the otter, marten, ermine, fox, and
.braver; the
feathers of the peacock, &c. In the manufacture of wearing
apparel and sandals, they made use of flax, cotton, the bat k
of trees, the filainents of the papyrus and other plants of
the same species, and even the thick fibres of the, roots of
some bulbous plants, such as-the hyrtrit/ws.
" It does not appear that the ancients ever made use of linen
cloth; no mention is made of it by any of the. ancient
Authors whose writings bavaescended to us."—(foniteur,
Dee. 14:)