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Red hair in Ancient Greece - Celtic505 - 05-02-2009
I came across this statement on HowStuffWorks.com :
"For a long time, hair coloring has been serious business! For example, would-be heroes of ancient Greece used harsh soaps and bleaches to lighten and redden their hair to the color that was identified with honor and courage."
Is there any truth to this? Was red hair and redheads viewed as being courageous? Or viewed as anymore special than regular haired brunettes? Did ancient greeks really try to lighten their hair to make it red or light in appearance? Also I heard that Alexander the Great has been described as "ruddy". I'm not sure if they were describing his hair or complextion and skin or both. Anybody know anything about this? I'm quite curious to know because I'm a redhead (I always felt like I looked a bit out of place as a redhead trying to pass as a Roman soldier and Greek warrior, being as they were mediterranean peoples and had dark hair and complextion)
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - Idomeneas - 05-02-2009
Mythology sources gives us clues that certain heroes had blonde (Achilles) or red hair (Menelaos, Pyros (Neoptolemos). Also some Gods like Hephaistos. Alexander also is recorded as fair hair. So we can assume that there were people with red or blonde (more like hazel-blonde not real yellow or off-white hair) hair. But they were rather rare and it was considered a beauty criterion. Same like dark hair people are considered exotic in Scandinavian countries.
Even today really blonde or red hair people are rare in Greece. Fair hair and eyes are considered beautiful. So i guess im lucky for having myself a green eyed and real golden hair Greek lady 8)
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - Celtic505 - 05-02-2009
Thanks a lot!
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - Gaius Julius Caesar - 05-03-2009
Saying that, i did meet 2 blond beauties in my travels in greece!
D oops: 8)
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - Aquilinus - 05-03-2009
Am I right in saying that red hair is a mutant gene? I've heard that from a lot of people. They wouldn't have known that back then though probably.
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - M. Demetrius - 05-03-2009
Well, if that's true, I used to be a mutant, then my hair turned grey, then much of it fell out completely. Beware, all ye of reddened hair.
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - Celtic505 - 05-04-2009
whoa whoa whoa .......you're saying I have mutant genes? So than I'm kinda like one of the X-men, except my power if completely useless. Interesting. But I would think that mutated genes are probably quite common amongst humans.
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - M. Demetrius - 05-04-2009
Mutant jeans. Yep. Mostly blue.
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - PMBardunias - 05-04-2009
I don't know about bleaching hair, but there is mention by Athenaeus and Menander that Athenian women darkened their light eyebrows and hair. Perhaps the fashion was to look more like near easterners or Egyptians?
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - M. Demetrius - 05-04-2009
I've read that the hair from blonde and redhaired slaves was used to make wigs for Roman ladies of fashion, too.
Re: Red hair in Ancient Greece - hoplite14gr - 05-07-2009
The Names Pyrros Pyriochos Pyrreas Pyrrilos are ascociated with people who have red hair.
Pyra is "fire/flame" in Greek. (Pyrra is the Woman who prepares fire)
Plutarch and Thukidides describe the Molossian Royal clan as red haired people.
Native red hair in Greece are not so ligt coloured as in the Celts. They have darker shades just as the blond is the "dirty blond".
Hope it helps