Toga
(
τήβεννα). The distinctive garb of the Roman citizen when
appearing in public (see illustrations). Its use was forbidden to exiles and to foreigners; it
was indispensable on all official occasions, even in imperial times, when more convenient
garments had been adopted for ordinary use. It consisted of a white woollen cloth of
semicircular cut, about five yards long by four wide,
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Ancient Mode of Wearing the Toga. (Dresden.)
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a certain portion of which was pressed by the fuller into long, narrow plaits. This
cloth was doubled lengthwise, not down the centre, but so that one fold was deeper than the
other. It was next thrown over the left shoulder in such a manner that the end in front
reached to the ground, and the part behind was about twice a man's height in length. This end
was then brought round under the right arm, and again thrown over the left shoulder so as to
cover the whole of the right side from the arm-pit to the calf. The broad folds in which it
hung over were thus gathered together on the left shoulder. The part which crossed the breast
diagonally was known as the
sinus, or bosom. It was deep enough to
serve as a pocket for the reception of small articles.
In earlier times the Romans wore the
toga even in warfare, although one
of considerably less width. It was worn on such occasions in a peculiar mode called the
cinctus Gabinus, or girding in the Gabian manner, after the town Gabii. In
this, the end which, in the other mode, was thrown over the left shoulder, was drawn tightly
round the body, so
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Later Mode of Wearing the Toga. ( Museo Borbonico. )
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that in itself it formed a girdle, leaving both arms free and preventing the garment
from falling off. This garb was subsequently retained only for certain ceremonial rites, as at
the founding of towns, at the Ambarvalia, during incantations, at the opening of the Temple of
Ianus, and at sacrificial observances of diverse kinds. After the
sagum
(q. v.) had been introduced as a military garment, the toga served as the exclusive garb and
symbol of peace. Women also in olden times used to wear the toga afterwards this was only the
case with prostitutes; and disgraced wives were forbidden to wear the
stola, the matron's dress of honour. The colour of the toga, as worn by men (
toga virilis), was white: a dark-coloured toga (brown or black,
toga pulla or
sordida) was worn only by the lower
classes, or in time of mourning, or by accused persons. A purple stripe woven in the garment
was the distinctive mark of the curule magistrates and censors, of the State priests (but only
when performing their functions), and afterwards of the emperors. This, which was called the
toga praetexta, was also worn by boys until they attained manhood, and
by girls until marriage. The
toga picta was a robe adorned with golden
stars; it was worn by a general on his triumph, by the magistrate who was giving public games,
in imperial times by consuls on entering office, and by the emperor on festal occasions. (Cf.
Clavus.) On the
toga candida,
see
Ambitus. The shoe appropriate to the toga was
the
calceus (q. v.).