08-06-2021, 09:21 PM
Hello!
I have heard claims that the phrygian cap was mainly worn by emancipated slaves. However I have my doubts. Because lots of sources mention the Pileus as being the hat of the freed slave. Which is very similar to the phrygian cap in appareance. Although you can see a distinct difference in that the Pileus is more cone shaped. I wonder if this is not a simple misconception because of their similar appearances?
https://www.britannica.com/art/Phrygian-cap raises an interesting point. "The Phrygian cap might have been mistaken for the pileus, a cap worn by emancipated Roman slaves, when it became an emblem of liberty during the French Revolution (1787–99). It was adopted by the revolutionaries as “the red cap of liberty” and continues to be associated with the national allegorical figure of Liberté."
The phrygian cap was adopted as a symbol of liberty during the French revolution. Because it was supposedly worn by freed slaves in ancient rome. However we know that the freed slaves wore Pileus hats. Anthony Everitts writes in his book on Augustus.
"Second, the satyr came to be ragarded as an emblem of liberty. That is why his statue in the Forum wore a pileus or Phrygian cap, such as slaves were given when they were freed."
Unfortunately I could not find this specific statue. I guess my question is. Is this a case of the pileus and the phrygian cap being mixed together? In the picture attached you see a slave. He is clearly wearing a Pileus hat, not a phrygian cap. The picture is from the mariemont manumission relief. Which as you can see features depictions of slaves wearing pileus hats.
The other picture is a roman potrayal of Paris of Troy during the hadrianic period, 117-138 BCE. Someone we know certainly is not a slave, or ever was one. He is wearing a phrygian cap with the drooped top.
To summarize; I think that the pileus and phrygian cap have been confused for eachother. And that the phrygian cap does not necessarily represent a freed slave. The way that a pileus cap does.
![[Image: 1024px-Judgement_Paris_Altemps_Inv8563_n2.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Judgement_Paris_Altemps_Inv8563_n2.jpg/1024px-Judgement_Paris_Altemps_Inv8563_n2.jpg)
![[Image: Mariemont_manumission_relief_02.JPG]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Mariemont_manumission_relief_02.JPG)
I have heard claims that the phrygian cap was mainly worn by emancipated slaves. However I have my doubts. Because lots of sources mention the Pileus as being the hat of the freed slave. Which is very similar to the phrygian cap in appareance. Although you can see a distinct difference in that the Pileus is more cone shaped. I wonder if this is not a simple misconception because of their similar appearances?
https://www.britannica.com/art/Phrygian-cap raises an interesting point. "The Phrygian cap might have been mistaken for the pileus, a cap worn by emancipated Roman slaves, when it became an emblem of liberty during the French Revolution (1787–99). It was adopted by the revolutionaries as “the red cap of liberty” and continues to be associated with the national allegorical figure of Liberté."
The phrygian cap was adopted as a symbol of liberty during the French revolution. Because it was supposedly worn by freed slaves in ancient rome. However we know that the freed slaves wore Pileus hats. Anthony Everitts writes in his book on Augustus.
"Second, the satyr came to be ragarded as an emblem of liberty. That is why his statue in the Forum wore a pileus or Phrygian cap, such as slaves were given when they were freed."
Unfortunately I could not find this specific statue. I guess my question is. Is this a case of the pileus and the phrygian cap being mixed together? In the picture attached you see a slave. He is clearly wearing a Pileus hat, not a phrygian cap. The picture is from the mariemont manumission relief. Which as you can see features depictions of slaves wearing pileus hats.
The other picture is a roman potrayal of Paris of Troy during the hadrianic period, 117-138 BCE. Someone we know certainly is not a slave, or ever was one. He is wearing a phrygian cap with the drooped top.
To summarize; I think that the pileus and phrygian cap have been confused for eachother. And that the phrygian cap does not necessarily represent a freed slave. The way that a pileus cap does.
