black cloaks

[Gashford]

Hello all

I have been asked about black cloaks. We have access to some black wool which is ideal for cloaks, however the question has arisen about its suitability for civilian, male attire.

We are around the 100-200AD mark.

I figure black sheep = black wool? But I could be wrong.

Do you have any thoughts or evidence about the idea of black in Roman society?

Many thanks

[Carlton Bach]

Black was not a 'good' colour, symbolising mourning, misfortune, and death (at least the kind of black known as 'ater' did. I don't know about 'niger' black, which presumably is more glossdy and shiny)

However, black clothes were known, worn among the wealthier clases for mourning. It is quite probable that some people also wore them without having had a death in the family - at least,the 'bakery' wall painting sahows a very dark tunic on a buyer, and there is no funerary context involved. also, cloaks seem to be traditionally darker than their tunics, so a black cloak is hardly outre. A wall painting from Germany that unfortunately I still haven't been able to locate properly, but love, shows a villa rustica with a peasant in the foreground who is wearing a very dark cape. It could just be oiled lewather, of course.

The Romans did use different shades of wool for decorative effect, and they prized wools from different regions for their colours (Pliny, Natural History 8.73.191 gives a breakdown). Undyed wool, be it white or dark, also appears to have been regarded as the mark of oldfashioned Republican modesty and high morality at some times, worn by men who wanted to highlight their virtue and incorruptibility. Martialis (Ep 1.96.4ff) mentions 'sad-coloured' cloaks and 'ash-grey' clothes for a man who - unjustifiedly - thinks highly of his own virtue (Sorry, don't have the original terms on handm quoting from secondary literature).

So, sounds fine, just be prepared to be called 'Honest Lucius' or something similar by the more dissolute set.