09-14-2003, 01:53 PM
Reading Lepidina's post in the Evidence For Knitting thread I noticed she wrote, "The Greeks and Romans have little need for winter-type clothing." I understood she was no doubt thinking about the heavy weather gear that would have been needed in the colder northern climate but it did get me thinking.<br>
Although the Meditterranean is generally warmer it can get pretty nippy here too. Where we live on a coastal plain it never gets cold enough to snow but it's not totally unknown for the temperature to reach freezing point and we do get some pretty mean hail storms in the winter and temperatures below 10C. Only a short drive away in the hills snow is not unusual.<br>
I've also realized it's also a matter of what one is accostomed to. When I first came here from a British winter I could quite happily wander round in a t.shirt. These days any drop in temperature below about 22C I'm already running for the woollies. This leads me to assume (unless there have been major climate changes over 2000 years?) that the Greeks and Romans too must have made some significant seasonal adjustment to their clothing.<br>
If so, would this have been a matter of adding things like socks, extra undertunics, wearing thicker pallas or cloaks etc or was there a distinct form of winter wear?<br>
There doesn't seem to be much evidence as far as I can see, from artistic representations. But then again I don't think winter woollies would have been considered very aesthetic in art. And come to think of it, I don't recall having seen any paintings portaying bad weather!<br>
I am wondering if there is any evidence, perhaps literary, to indicate what was worn in winter?<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Although the Meditterranean is generally warmer it can get pretty nippy here too. Where we live on a coastal plain it never gets cold enough to snow but it's not totally unknown for the temperature to reach freezing point and we do get some pretty mean hail storms in the winter and temperatures below 10C. Only a short drive away in the hills snow is not unusual.<br>
I've also realized it's also a matter of what one is accostomed to. When I first came here from a British winter I could quite happily wander round in a t.shirt. These days any drop in temperature below about 22C I'm already running for the woollies. This leads me to assume (unless there have been major climate changes over 2000 years?) that the Greeks and Romans too must have made some significant seasonal adjustment to their clothing.<br>
If so, would this have been a matter of adding things like socks, extra undertunics, wearing thicker pallas or cloaks etc or was there a distinct form of winter wear?<br>
There doesn't seem to be much evidence as far as I can see, from artistic representations. But then again I don't think winter woollies would have been considered very aesthetic in art. And come to think of it, I don't recall having seen any paintings portaying bad weather!<br>
I am wondering if there is any evidence, perhaps literary, to indicate what was worn in winter?<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
