Sources for Roman Clothing

Books: (see also General Reference Works)

Bartman, Elizabeth. Portraits of Livia: Imaging the Imperial Woman in Augustan Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Sebesta, Judith Lynn, and Larissa Bonfante, eds. The World of Roman Costume. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1994.

Walker, Susan, and Morris Bierbrier. Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt. London: British Museum Press, 1997.

Special thanks to Judith Sebesta for answering my questions about clothing.

External Links:

• Slide show featuring modern reproductions of ancient Roman clothing (Diotima)
• Dress and Personal Ornaments (chapter from the early twentieth-century book Private Life of the Romans by Johnston, put online at Forum Romanum)

Image List: The following images from the pages on this topic are available through the VRoma Image Archive; further information can be found by consulting the various slide indices. Images in the VRoma Archive may be used for non-commercial purposes, either by downloading the images or by linking to them; it is not necessary to write for permission, but we do ask that you credit the VRoma Project.

Click here for information on the images used in Roman Clothing, Part II.

drawing of clothing for different social classes	drawing of Roman woman spinning	drawing of Roman woman weaving	replica of a Roman loom	wall painting of fuller's vats
Mainz Landesmuseum	Saalburg Museum	Saalburg Museum	Schwarzenacker Open Air Museum	Pompeii (replica from EUR)

wall painting of carding and bleaching	wall painting of clothing press	mosaic of female athlete	mosaic of female ball players	ancient leather "bikini" pants
Pompeii (replica from EUR)	Pompeii, Verecundus shop (replica from EUR)	Piazza Armerina, 4th century CE	Piazza Armerina, 4th century CE	Museum of London.

replica of sandal	ancient leather sandal with gold ornament	ancient leather shoes with replicas below	ancient leather shoe	drawing of plain male tunic
EUR Museum	Saalburg Museum	Saalburg Museum	Chesters, Museum	Barbara McManus

drawing of equestrian tunic	drawing of senatorial tunic	orator in tunic & toga	wall painting of genius in toga praetexta	mosaic of man and two slaves	mosaic of boy kitchen slave
Barbara McManus	Barbara McManus	Vatican Gregorian Museum, 1st century CE	Pompeii, House of Vettii (detail of lararium painting)	Tunis, Bardo Museum	Hermitage Museum

foot of statue wearing sandal	drawing of toga virilis	bronze statue of orator in toga	statue of man with toga and scroll	statue of togate Augustus	statue of Augustus as pontifex
Rome, Vatican Museum	adapted from Miller (1812) plate 237	Florence Archaeological Museum, 1st century BCE	Hermitage Museum	Uffizi Museum	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 1st century CE

sarcophagus relief of marriage	imperial children in togas	togate statue of Nero as child	drawing of toga praetexta	gold ring with carnelian sealstone depicting actor
British Museum, 2nd century CE	Rome, Ara Pacis	Paris, Louvre Museum, 48-50 CE	adapted from Miller (1812) plate 239	London, British Museum

jewelry and coins found with woman's skeleton outside Pompeii	inscribed serpent braceletfound with woman's skeleton outside Pompeii	silver pin with symbols of victory	terracotta statuette of swaddled infant with bulla	statue of woman and child	statue of woman and child
Naples, Archaeological Museum, 1st century CE	Naples, Archaeological Museum, 1st century CE	Munich Praehistorisches Museum, 3rd century CE	Brussels Museum of Art and History	Rome, Capitoline Museum (Nuovo)	Rome, Capitoline Museum (Nuovo)

boys' rings with phalluses	bust of Hadrian	bronze signet ring with man's name from Herculaneum	inscribed serpent braceletfound with woman's skeleton outside Pompeii	replica of boy's gold bulla	gold bulla
London, British Museum, 1st century CE	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 2nd century CE	Naples, Archaeological Museum, 1st century CE	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 3rd century CE	Rome (EUR), Museum of Roman Civilization	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 1st century CE

fresco of religious procession and sacrifice	shoes of statue of Augustus as pontifex	umbo of toga from statue of Augustus as pontifex	head of Nero	head of Nero	coin of Nero
Naples, Archaeological Museum, 1st century CE	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 1st-3rd century CE	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 1st century CE	London, British Museum, 1st century CE	Rome, Palazzo Nuovo, 1st century CE	Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 1st centuiry CE

bronze ring with key	bronze ring with key
London, Victoria & Albert Museum, 3rd century CE	London, Victoria & Albert Museum, 3rd century CE

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