Author Description

This book is a treasure trove of information on dress and the art of dressing through the ages of ancient Greece and Rome. There are exhaustive references to the authors who wrote works in classical Greek and Latin on the topic. While the focus is clearly on Greece and Rome, there are also entries on the dress of other classical civilisations. It includes entries on Greek and Latin terms, with equivalents listed together and full descriptions and translations. As well as the garments themselves, this 'a-z' also collects a great deal of background information illuminating how and why garments were made and used, revealing what they can add to our appreciation of the art and literature that depicts them, and of the cultures that made and wore them. Greek and Roman Dress from A to Z is an alphabetized compendium of styles and accessories that form the well-known classical image: a reference source of stitches, drapery, hairstyles, colours, fabrics and jewellery, and an analysis of the intricate system of social meanings that they comprise. The entries range in length from a few lines to a few pages and cover individual aspects of dress alongside surveys of wider topics and illuminating socio-cultural analysis, drawn from ancient art, literature and archaeology. For those who want to take their reading further, there are references to both primary sources and modern scholarship.