Who dressed as a woman in an attempt to commit adultery with Julius Caesar’s wife? How did the ancient Greeks make blusher from seaweed? Just how does one wear a toga?
If, as many claim, the importance of clothes lies in their detail, then this a book that no sartorially savvy Classicist should be without. Greek and Roman Dress from A to Z is an alphabetized compendium of styles and accessories that form the well-known classical image: a reference source of stitches, drapery, hairstyles, colours, fabrics and jewellery, and an analysis of the intricate system of social meanings that they comprise.
The entries range in length from a few lines to a few pages and cover individual aspects of dress alongside surveys of wider topics and illuminating socio-cultural analysis, drawn from ancient art, literature and archaeology. For those who want to take their reading further, there are references to both primary sources and modern scholarship.
This book is be fascinating for anyone delving into it with an interest in style and dress, and an invaluable companion for any classicist.