Volume 2

A cyclopaedia of costume or dictionary of dress, including notices of contemporaneous fashions on the continent : a general chronological history of the costumes of the principal countries of Europe, from the commencement of the Christian era to the accession of George the Third / by James Robinson Planché.

  • Planché, J. R. (James Robinson), 1796-1880.
Date:
1876-1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A cyclopaedia of costume or dictionary of dress, including notices of contemporaneous fashions on the continent : a general chronological history of the costumes of the principal countries of Europe, from the commencement of the Christian era to the accession of George the Third / by James Robinson Planché. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    4 “It is also thought that the lacerna took the name of byrrhus from a Greek word signifying something reddish (7rvppos), it being usually of a red colour.”1 The name of byrrhus was subsequently given to a cowl, or other head-covering, whence the Italian term for a cap, berretta, French birette. To these must be added a military mantle, the sagum or paludamentum, which the Romans had borrowed from the Gauls. It was a large open woollen cloak,2 and originally had sleeves, which were taken from it when it was brought into Italy. In dangerous times it was worn in the city of Rome by all ranks of persons except those of consular dignity. When worn by the general or the chief officers of an army, it was of a scarlet colour with a purple border. It has been sometimes confounded with the chlamys, which was principally worn by travellers.3 The women were clad in the long tunic, or the stola, a similar vestment, reaching to the feet, having a broad fringe or border at the bottom. Of outer garments they had a variety, all borrowed from the Greeks,—the peplus or earns (called by them also the palla or amiculum) ; the palliolum, a small cloak or veil; the theristrion, an exceedingly thin summer mantle ; the chlamys and the penula, which they wore in common with the men ; and several others of which we have the names but no definite description: and still be it remembered, whichsoever was worn, according to season, fashion, or convenience, it formed only one additional article of attire to the tunic or to the stola. I have said that millions of men and women in these early ages were content with two or three garments of a similar description, whatever their name or the material of which they were composed ; there were, however, other millions whose costume at the same period presented an important addition, to have hitherto received. This addition was the clothing of the legs independently and completely down to the feet; a custom invariably observed by them through all their migrations, unaffected by change of climate or form of government. In brief, the nations of the ancient world might be fairly 1 L’Antiquitd expliqu^e par les Figures, lib. iii. cap. 7. 3 Suetonius, August, cap. 26. 3 Vestis viatoria. Hence chlamydatus was used to express a traveller or foreigner. (Plautus, Pseud, iv. 2, 8.) Roman Senator in the toga. From Hope. Roman Emperor in a military tunic [faludamentum), unarmed.