In her Acknowledgments (pp.viii-ix), Rothe states that she wrote this book out of frustration, as there was no comprehensive study on the social or cultural importance of the toga. As someone who has shared that frustration, I can say with certainty that this book not only fills this gap in classical scholarship, but also comprehensively rebuts the claim that togas were of fringe importance to Romans and their neighbours.
Rothe does not shy away from breadth; her study encompasses the earliest literary and physical examples of togas, and runs all the way through to late antiquity, and while most of the evidence is either Roman or Italian, there is also a chapter on the perception of the toga in the provinces. In those periods where we have the most evidence, the late Republic and early Principate, Rothe also breaks down her study into certain cultural themes, which are manhood, social status, and politics. Undoubtedly this book has set the standard for any future scholarship on the topic simply with the number of references that Rothe draws upon throughout. Additionally, the clear demarcation of topics and time periods into chapters will allow readers to answer specific queries.
The book is a fine example of an interdisciplinary approach to classical questions. Rothe draws upon very many ancient writers, not only those who directly describe togas, but also those who employ clothing as a metaphor, or use standards of dress to characterise people and their actions. Rothe uses these references to demonstrate and prove her assertion that the toga was not just an icon of Roman civilisation, but a cultural touchstone at all social strata, over many centuries. As usual, the best written evidence applies to the elites of the late Republic and early Principate, which makes Rothe's chapter on politics particularly convincing (p.101ff.). As the written evidence becomes more allusive, Rothe's interpretations can be wilful, such as her assertion that Martial and Juvenal provide good evidence of the financial burden of the toga (p.91 ff.), despite having previously dismissed as comic exaggeration Juvenal's assertion that the toga was not worn in provincial cities (p.85).
Rothe brings in as much physical evidence as possible, while acknowledging the absence of textiles in the archaeological record as a significant hindrance. The key benefit of prioritising material culture alongside literature is that Rothe is able to write with authority on the non-elites, who are understudied in this area. Rothe mostly analyses funerary and public monuments, and coinage, and writes convincingly when extrapolating from evidence which is by nature abstruse. Especially striking is the section on certain members of the Roman ‘middle-class’ who were entitled but chose not to wear the toga in monumental depictions, possibly to emphasise their status as skilled artisans (pp.96–99). Rothe argues that this action paradoxically exposes the significance of the garment they eschewed, as its absence is as much of a statement as its inclusion.
Rothe's commendable integration of a wide variety of ancient sources is the strength of this work, but the practice of embedding some quotations, almost always in English alone, and otherwise simply referring to others makes the reader reliant on Rothe's interpretations. This is one of the greatest failings of the book, as it does not facilitate critical engagement with Rothe's conclusions, many of which are certainly interpretative, without giving the full grounding of the ancient source in either English or the original. The book makes fulsome use of end-notes to direct the reader on, but beyond this there is no bibliography of ancient sources, and as a reader I often wondered if Rothe's work would be more useful as a sourcebook, or at least accompanied by one.
Conversely, Rothe often includes Latin and Greek words or phrases in the body of her work, which she does not routinely translate, beyond a glossary of clothing-specific phrases (pp.163–164). This is not unusual in classical scholarship, but given the topic of social history is not restricted to classical linguists, it would be an easy and inclusive improvement (and even this Classics teacher had to check πορφυρεος φοινικοπαρυφος –purple with a crimson border (p.79)). Less excusable is the untranslated German. These issues are not consequential, though it does bring one to question who the intended audience is.
This book is a goldmine of information. In each and every chapter there are many intriguing and memorable morsels, such as the 1000+ hours required to make an imperial-style toga (p.24), or the diagram of how to put it on (p.27), or the vices exposed by emperors when either under- or overdressing (pp.114–115), or that to wear a black toga was a form of political protest (p.105). Certainly, these could add colour and interest to Classics lessons at all levels, and as a teacher I feel better armed to answer queries about togas which emerge, quite randomly, in lessons. The book also works as a frame through which to study fundamental aspects of Roman civilisation; topics such as citizenship, manhood, and politics are recurring themes in classical study, and this book provides a nuanced and novel perspective on those issues. That said, the topic is niche enough that it will never be essential reading for any secondary school student; chapters could be given as extension. The book as a whole should have a broad appeal to classicists, and so could be recommended ahead of a university application, and indeed for teachers seeking a fresh take on many aspects of Roman cultural history.
Open access
