Book Review: Greek Dress

kirispupis · November 27, 2024

One thing I quickly realized when I started writing a book that takes place in ancient Greece is that I didn't truly know how people dressed back then. So, I picked up a copy of Greek Dress by Ethel B. Abrahams and found I was even more mistaken than I thought.

The book was originally published in 1908, so it's obviously a bit dated. However, to my understanding, most of the material here is still relevant. I believe where it feels more antiquated is the expectations the author has on her audience. When she goes into detail on patterns, she does so from a time when more people (especially women) were involved in the construction of clothes. So, when she includes a diagram and talks about various folds at certain points, much of her audience understood her. These days, when even going to the mall to purchase something is a chore for some, I at least found myself getting lost.

What would probably help a lot is a newly illustrated edition with models showing the various stages of dress. From the work, the author did spend considerable time with models to discover exactly how clothing was arranged, but photography was more challenging back then.

Still, it was enlightening to go through the history of Doric vs Ionic dress, hair styles, footwear, and toiletry. She spends a great deal of time focused on Athens, from where of course most of our examples come. Essentially, during the 6th century BCE the Doric dress was dominant, which in layman's terms was a big sheet wrapped in fancy ways and typically held up by a belt/girdle.

The himation was the common sheet, and was worn by both men and women, but in obviously different ways. On the women's side, dress became progressively more elaborate until Solon placed restrictions on women's dress.

After that, as Herodotus discusses, the Ionic dress was borrowed from Caria. As I understand, in the Ionic dress sides were often sewn, so clothes had sleeves. The common dress her was the chiton, and again both men and women wore them, but in different ways.

When the Persians destroyed Athens in 480 BCE, eastern ways became less popular and the Doric dress returned. Later on, though, the two forms merged in Athens and a himation was often worn over a chiton.

Overall, though I'd like to see an edition with more photos and examples, I did learn enough that I can go back and rewrite my passages concerning dress, though an expert will I'm sure still have issues.

When looking for a good example coin, I found it challenging. The vast majority of Greek coins either depict a bust or a nude model. If there is a full figure, he/she is usually riding something and so the dress is difficult to tell. Roman coins are completely different - nearly every coin has an example of dress.

So, here are the best Greek examples in my collection I could find.

Please share your own coins depicting ancient clothing!
(@Ryro you may have to sit this one out 🙂 )

Ptolemy I
311-305 BCE
Alexandria
27.5 mm 14.6g 1h
Avers : Buste cornu et diadémé d’Alexandre le Grand sous les traits de Zeus-Ammon à droite, coiffé de la dépouille d’éléphant avec l’égide.
Revers : Athéna Promachos ou Alkidemos marchant à droite, brandissant une javeline de la main droite et tenant un bouclier de la gauche ; dans le champ à gauche, un casque corinthien, un monogramme et un aigle sur un foudre tourné à droite.
Sv.162 (37 ex) – Cop.29 – GC.7750 var. – BMC.- – MP.6
Ex Robert J. Myers Auction 12, lot 291 (December 4, 1975)

Pontos, Amisos
Time of Mithradates VI, c. 120-63 BCE
Æ 18mm., 8,52g
Obv. Aegis with Gorgoneion in centre.
Rev. ΑΜΙ-ΣΟΥ, Nike advancing right holding wreath and palm; monogram to lower right.
SNG Cop. 167

Bosporos, Tauric Chersonesus
ca 300-290 BCE
Artemis Parthenos running left, holding bow in left hand and spearing fallen stag.
Rev: ΚΛΕΜΥΤΑΔΑ. Bull butting left over club.
21mm, 6.86g
SNG Stancomb 481
ex-Rudolf Hoesch (1904-1990) collection
bought from M&M AG Basel in 1955

Deinomenid · November 27, 2024

Here’s a chiton, worn for ankle/length modesty in this case. Though apparently even Sulla - in his Greek fanboy vacation breaks in Neapolis - was reported to have worn the full ensemble including presumably a version of these.

Sicily, Katane AR Tetradrachm. Circa 460 BC. The river god Amenanos as a bearded, man-headed bull swimming to right; branch above, fish below / Nike, wearing long chiton, advancing to left, holding taenia in her outstretched right hand; KATANAION (retrograde) around.

DANTE · November 28, 2024

Interesting subject, @kirispupis. Something I know very little about.

As far as I can tell Dionysos here is wearing both a chiton and a himation, with lots of elaborate drapings. But you've read the book, so you're the expert now.☺️