In casual environments, the average male Roman citizen would instead wear one of his tunics, sans toga.īecause togas were made with large quantities of costly wool, they were also quite expensive. Within the next hundred years, the toga turned into a bulky, impractical article of clothing that was mostly reserved for formal occasions like religious services and funerals. By the 2nd century BCE, it became taboo for adult women to put on a toga (prostitutes and adulteresses notwithstanding). Inevitably, though, the region’s fashion standards evolved. ![]() Underneath, they’d don a tunic, which was a sleeved, t-shaped garment that extended from the collar to the knees. During the Republic’s early days, men, women, and children alike wore these accessories as a kind of durable outerwear. But for most of Rome’s history, togas were not considered everyday attire.Īt first, the toga emphasized function over form. Only a Roman citizen could legally wear one, and as years went by, different styles came to be used as a way of displaying the wearer’s socioeconomic status. In his epic poem The Aeneid, Jupiter talks about the future of the Romans as the “masters of the world, the race that wears the toga.” No article of clothing has ever been more synonymous with this ancient culture. With the Ben-Hur remake set to hit theaters on August 19, now seems like a good time to bust some myths. Unfortunately, the film helped perpetuate a few mistaken beliefs concerning Rome and her citizenry. Released in 1959, Charlton Heston's Ben-Hur is considered one of the greatest motion pictures of all time.
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