Himation
A himation was a rectangular ancient Greek mantle, worn over a chiton or peplos, or sometimes directly against the body. It was normally held by draping, the position of the arms and the weight of its folds, rather than a fixed fastening system.
- Men and women wore it.
- The chiton and peplos were body garments; the himation was an outer wrap.
- Cloth weight and draping mattered as much as its dimensions.
- A pose in sculpture may express social ideals as well as show how clothing was arranged.
Himation and chiton: difference
The chiton was a garment worn on the body and usually belted. The peplos was also worn on the body and fastened at the shoulders. The himation was an outer wrap, draped over a chiton or peplos, around the torso or over one shoulder. These garments therefore served different purposes and should not be treated as substitutes in reconstruction.
Statue of a Muse wearing a himation. Roman copy after a Greek original, second century CE. Istanbul Archaeological Museums.
Sophocles wearing a himation: Roman copy of a Greek portrait statue.
Statue identified as Alexander the Great wearing a himation. Second century BCE; Istanbul Archaeological Museums.Greek art shows several arrangements of the himation, rather than one compulsory length or draping pattern. Controlled folds and a restrained pose could suggest respectable public bearing; other arrangements appear in domestic scenes and images of travellers. A statue's date, subject and purpose matter when it is used as evidence for dress.
The Roman palla and toga belong to a different social and civic tradition. The palla was also a wrap, but the toga differed in shape and significance; neither is an exact equivalent of the himation in every period.
Modern diagram showing ways of draping a himation on a woman.
Modern himation cutting diagram.How a himation was worn
There was no single compulsory draping pattern. One common arrangement placed an end over the left shoulder, carried the cloth across the back and under the right arm, then returned the free end over the left shoulder. Other versions covered both shoulders or wrapped only the lower body. The appearance depended on the size and weight of the cloth, as well as the wearer's age, gender, activity and setting.
Related topics
Literature and sources
- M. Bieber. Griechische Kleidung. Berlin, 1928.
- M. Bieber. Entwicklungsgeschichte der griechischen Tracht. 2nd ed. Berlin, 1967.
- A. Pekridou-Gorecki. Mode im antiken Griechenland: Textile Fertigung und Kleidung. Munich, 1989.
- L. Llewellyn-Jones, ed. Women's Dress in the Ancient Greek World. London, 2002.
- L. Cleland et al., eds. The Clothed Body in the Ancient World. Oxford, 2005.
- M. M. Lee. Body, Dress, and Identity in Ancient Greece. Cambridge, 2015.
- Ancient Greek Dress: Metropolitan Museum.
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