Toga
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For making and wearing a toga, see Toga (Nova Roma).
The toga is the definitive garment of the Roman male. It is worn over a tunic.Contents |
Social meaning of the toga
Types of Toga
As far as the colouring of the wool itself, there were several types of toga:
- Toga pura (or toga virilis)
- The ordinary citizen's toga. It is undyed, and thus off-white or cream coloured.
- Toga praetexta
- The toga worn by magistrates (and also by boys under the age of 16). It bears the purple stripe, the width of which varies according to the wearer. Senators and magistrates holding imperium wear a broad (3") purple stripe. Members of the Ordo Equester and magistrates without imperium wear a thin (1") purple stripe. Such stripes do not go all the way around the toga, but instead are placed on edge BEFA on the diagram (the upper-half of the toga).
- Toga candida
- The stark-white toga worn by candidates running for office. The English word "candidate" comes from this usage.
- Toga pulla
- A dark toga, either brown, dark gray, or even black, worn while in mourning.
- Toga picta
- A special toga worn only by military commanders being given a triumph. It is pure purple with decorations in golden thread.
- Toga trabea
- A multi-coloured toga, bearing purple and scarlet stripes, worn by Augurs.
Evolution of the toga
The primitive toga
This was original semicircular form in the republican times until the 1st century BC, which can be seen on this statue:
Development during the 2nd-1st centuries BC
In the end of the 2nd century BCE, the aristocracy started to enlarge their toga to have a more impressive draping. They increased the width of the material bigger and bigger through the decades. Now they had a very large toga draped the way seen on this statue, and a bit later, this version of draping became even more popular at the end of the republic with the sinus, seen on this statue:The classical toga - theories about its shape
But having this new fashion of draping and the large measure of the material, they had problem with it's falling from the back and in the first part under the visible draping downstage, caused by the lots of material in the corners "x" and "y". Also, they continued to increase the width to have a larger sinus, and it caused even more problems because of those "too much material" corners, so they simply started to cut down the corners.
"Theory 1"
An other hypothesis says that they cut it down in a semicircular way, so they had an oval, ellipsis-like shape:
"Theory 2"
Final shape
I think that the even cutting is more likely because it is a more simple solution; anyway, they now had this variant of the toga that is called "imperial", and was worn during the principate. I think "classical toga" is a better name for this variant, because it is which became the most symbolical and characteristical version of the Roman toga.
In the photo at right, you can see my classical toga which is made according to the "Theory 1":
Please compare it yourselves with ones on the Roman statues, like this, or this, or this and so on...
References
Master Index
Master Index
Master Index
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