Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1881 — Roman Dress Described. [ARTICLE]

Roman Dress Described.

H«w York i rtbane. At the invitation of the Art committee of the Union League club ah audience composed principally of members of the club and artists assembled last evening in the members’ hall to listen to a lecture by F. D. Millet on “Roman Costumes.” simplicity, beauty and grace of the method of wearing the toga were admirably illustrated by the draping of excellent models. Premising that the first form of the toga was a rectangular piece of cloth twioe the bight of the wearer in length and in width onehalf as much. Mr. Millet introduced his first model, a man clad only in a short tunic, and threw around him a toga of the time of Cicero, thrde times the model’s • bight -> In length and slightly semi-cir-cular, beginning at the left shoulder, gassing under the right arm and over le left shoulder again. The inner fold in front was slightly pulled out to serve as a pocket, and the rear folds were sometimes pulled over the head. Priests when sacrificing twisted t,hp toga tightly about their legs. Different ways of wearing this, which was the stale toga, were shown in a statue of Cicero. The toga Grseconika, nearly the same as the Etruscan toga, was shown—narrower and hanging in straight, less flowing lines, as in a statue of Sophocles. This, which from its texture and style co-ts as much (about $600) as the large toga, was worn by way of relief, and was often clasped over the right shoulder. All were weighted at the corner to aid in throwing them the shoulders, and to assist the proper disposition of the folds. 3 >- * ‘iv The military sagum was described, and then Mr. Miller passed to the tunic, a long sack-like belted garment with short sleeves, and the half-boots' of untanned leather, strapped about the ankles. Sandals were never worn with togas. The Roman peasant’s costume was also shown, consisting of along loose tunic, a rough bell-shaped over garment, a high fez, .and a piece of (doth about*the feet, which were presumably protected by -vandafe of rawhide. Tne different varieties of tuDics—those with broad stripes for senators and those nith narrow stripes for knights—4v«ra described, and Mr. Millet said tbatThe costume of Wallachian peasants exactly that of some figures of Trojan’s oolf umu. After the v rare with the Gauls a kind of trousers was introduced, first w : ds and long, later light and short, but their use was confined chiefly to

, the soldiery. The model was then attired as an ordinary soldier in tight short trousers rfml k tunic, ovef which was a leather jacket and shoulder pieces, and* carved bands of steel mid a similar waist piece, an iron helmet apd'a scatum or large rectangular shield, with a convex surface, and a two edged sword, worn high upon the right side. Then the model apA female model Was then brought forward, her hair hound with a fillet, clad in the long white flowing tunica intima, confined by the Roman form of ooege% a Wind arouad the —rVt was put a long white skirt clasped at" the shoulders with a febuaL