CAPIT´IUM
CAPIT´IUM a portion of a woman's dress, said by
Varro to be so called because it covers (
capit）
the breast (Varr.
L. L. 5.131, and
de Vita P.
R. iv. ap. Nonium, p. 542, s. v.
capitia : cf.
Gel. 16.7.9;
Dig. 34,
2,
24). The word itself might lead us to suppose that it was
originally, like
capital, a covering for the
head; but there is express testimony that it was worn over the tunic (Laber.
ap. Aul. Gell.
l.c.) and covered the breast, not the
head (Müller,
ad Fest. p. 57). Rich,
and after him Saglio, have identified it as a corset, not unlike those still
worn by the present women of Italy, and have figured it from a sepulchral
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Capitium. (Gori.)
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marble published by Gori (
Inscript. Antiq. Florent.
p. 344).
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W.S] [
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