A common misconception that many people have today is that Ancient Romans all wore clothing with plain, drab colors, such as white. After all, faded paintings and statues may lead many to believe that they never dyed their clothing. However, many of Rome’s wealthy and elite actually used a plethora of different colors to brighten up their togas. As much as 10% of Romans sported a colorful look. Below are some of the most noteworthy colors:
Purple dye, otherwise known as Tyrian purple, was the most prized color during Ancient Roman times. Producing enough Tyrian purple for just one toga was an extremely time-consuming and arduous process that required 10,000 crushed Murex sea snails. Due to its limited availability and astronomical value, only Roman emperors and army generals were allowed to wear purple.
Popular choices of colors for the wealthy included crimson and saffron yellow. These expensive, labor-intensive dyes were reserved only for elite Romans. Alternatively, cheaper dyes, such as blues and greens, existed as options for those who were not as affluent, as rich Romans would scarcely wear such cheaply colored garments.
Ancient Romans also wore specific colors for special occasions. A darker-colored toga was used to mourn someone who had recently passed away. A purple stripe on a white toga indicated that the wearer was part of the Roman Senate. Political candidates bleached their togas to make it whiter than normal. Colored clothing even played a role in the popular sport of chariot racing; members of the four factions of chariot racing (the whites, the reds, the blues, and the greens) each wore their respective colored clothing. Similarly, supporters wore clothing with the same color as their favored team.
As shown above, clothing color in Ancient Rome is a fascinating subject and has a wide and varied usage. Unlike the lackluster hues you may have originally assumed they had worn, many actually donned colorful garments for a host of different reasons.
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