Tunic status

[Anonymous]

I am making a tunic and need to know about the colored stripes and what classes they represented. I have seen several different kinds of stripes and colors and would like to know what is the most authentic.<br>
thank you, Aug33 <p></p><i></i>

[Carlton Bach]

There were two types of stripes - clavi - that were used as status markers. The broad purple stripe (latus clavus) designated senatorial rank. The narrow purple stripe (angustis clavus) sinmilarly was the mark of equestrian rank. There seems to have been a kind of understanding as to whatz constituted 'broad' and 'narrow', but exact dimensions are hard to reconstruct. Some statues with surviving clavi can be used as indicators, though there is sometimes a problem identifying the rank of the person shown.<br>
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Broad stripes would be appropriate for provincial governors, legionary legates and laticlave tribunes. Narrow ones would be appropriate for auxiliary prefects, angusticlave tribunes, provincial procurators, and some of the 'amici' accompanying senior commanders. We know very little about how often they would actually have worn them, but we can assume at least on all civilian 'dress occasions'.<br>
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Stripes that were not purple do not seem to have designated any rank and were used on civilian tunics quite regularly. The colour scheme is usually dark (black, or naturally dark wool) on light. I don't know if they were also part of military tunics, and I'm not going into that minefield. <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help...do you know where I can find picture of what a tunic with stripes might look like? Aug33 <p></p><i></i>

[Uwe Bahr]

Salve Aug33,<br>
<br>
take a look on Your namesake, the Bronze Statue of the Equestrian Augustus, now in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens:<br>
<br>
[url=http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/classics/photos/photodb/Beasom/Augustus.jpg" target="top]oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/classics/photos/photodb/Beasom/Augustus.jpg[/url]<br>
<br>
Greets - Uwe <p></p><i></i>

[Carlton Bach]

Some artworks you might want to check out:<br>
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the Florence 'Arringatore' statue has clavi (though those are probably senatorial or equestirian in nature)<br>
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Wall paintings from the Catacombe dei Giodani and the Via Latina catacomb show third-century clavi that are certainly not senatorial or equestrian. IIRC the wall paintings from Dura-Europos also combine clavi on tunics with gammata on cloaks.<br>
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The Via Portuense tomb in Rome has a painting of ball players in clavi-decorated tunics<br>
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The 'equestrian Augstus' already mentioned, as well as an equestrian statue from Pompeii (can't recall the name now, it's the big one) - both have clavi of inlaid copper<br>
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Generally, Egyptian mummy portraits are a good source, though they only show the shoulders and upper chest as a rule<br>
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In POmpeii, in the Via dell'Abondanza, a wall painting shows clorthing production, including one unfolded finished tunic with clavi. Unfortunately, no number... (I suspect other Pompeiian wall paintings are your best bet for 1st century AD info. Much earlier clavi designs are shown in Etruscan tombs and for fourth century examples you can use the Piazza Armerina mosaics, among others.)<br>
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If you read German and have either a good ILL library or money to burn, get:<br>
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Pausch, Matthias: Die römische Tunika, Wißner-Verlag 2003, ISBN 3-89639-370-7<br>
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I'm a little disappointed by the concentration on written and artistic sources rather than archeological, but as to completeness and time range I have yet to see better.<br>
<br>
Volker <p></p><i></i>

[John Maddox Roberts]

The Zliten munera mosaic in Tripoli, Libya shows arena attendants wearing white tunics with narrow, red clavi. <p></p><i></i>