Excursus: The Male Attire

Summary

AS the costume of the Roman ladies remained till a late period essentially the same, so the men wore one distinguishing dress, which first began to grow obsolete after the downfal of the Republic, when the indifference respecting the cultivation of national habits, equalled that about the public affairs of the country. It is true that other articles of dress were worn as well as the simple robe of early days, and even this was folded with greater nicety and amplitude than before; but we must look on those habits as genuine Roman which were in vogue at the most blooming period of the Republic.

Among the writings on this subject, the laborious compilation of Ferrarius (De re vestiaria, ii. vii.) will always stand chief. Differing from him, are Rubeni, De re vest. prœcipue de lato clavo, and on the other side, Ferrarii, Analecta de re vest.; Dandré Bardon, du costume, etc. des anciens peuples; Martini, Das Kostüm der meisten Völker des Alterth.; Malliot and Martin, Recherches sur le costume, etc. des anc. peuples, t. i.—iii.; Seckendorf, Die Grundform der Toga; Thom. Baxter, Description of the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Costumes; Bartholini, de pœnula. Compare also Ottfr. Müller, Etrusker. i. 260. The chief sources of information are Quinctil. Inst. xi. 3; the grammarians, especially Nonius, De genere vestim.; Gellius, vii. 12; Tertull. De pallio, v.; and the numerous statues in Roman costume.