Roman Hats

[kurtedwr]

Besides pillbox hats of the late military and brimmed straw hats of Greeks, what other hats existed in the Roman Empire?

[Nephele]

Upon being set free, former slaves would wear the pilleus or pilleum

[kurtedwr]

Didn't the Scythians wear something similar to that?

 

Upon being set free, former slaves would wear the pilleus or pilleum

[caldrail]

In the late empire, and I suspect more to do with the eastern half, there was a hat rather like a soft fez. Sometimes worn by off-duty legionaries.

[Ludovicus]

The Museum of the University of Pennsylvania has a small collection of Roman era textiles, among them hats:

 

 

"The Egyptian Section houses a small but significant collection of textiles from Egypt. Included in this collection are linen mummy wrappings from Pharaonic Egypt (many examples are inscribed with parts of the Book of the Dead), a unique painted mummy shroud from the Ptolemaic or Roman period, examples of clothing from the Roman Period (cloaks, tunics, and hats), and beautifully decorated Coptic period textiles."

http://www.penn.museum/about-our-collectio...an-section.html

[caldrail]

Leafing through the info I have (it isn't much) I discover the phrygian style floppy hat Nephele described was quite common in lower classes regardless of freedman status, and was also worn by off duty legionaries.

 

Turbans. Nope, I'm serious. Romans, even the west, discovered that wrapping cloth around the head kept it warm, and this was another feature of the late empire, although it would have looked like a scruffy headsock rather than the magnificent bundles the turks are famous for.

 

Leather hats. There's a mention of leather hats shaped like helmets worn instead of the metal variety, and only for socialising or whatever. Vegetius confirms that hats had become the thing for the well dressed pleb (though he does confuse the issue by implying they were worn in earlier periods for which there is little archaeological evidence.

[kurtedwr]

Leafing through the info I have (it isn't much) I discover the phrygian style floppy hat Nephele described was quite common in lower classes regardless of freedman status, and was also worn by off duty legionaries.

 

I think the floppy hats were also worn by late Roman archers.

 

Leather hats. There's a mention of leather hats shaped like helmets worn instead of the metal variety, and only for socialising or whatever. Vegetius confirms that hats had become the thing for the well dressed pleb (though he does confuse the issue by implying they were worn in earlier periods for which there is little archaeological evidence.

 

Did these leather hats have side flaps like helmets? On one of the History Channel episodes of Barbarian Invasions, I remember seeing a few Plebs wearing hats that resemble the brimless caps that Muslims today wear?

[caldrail]

The Romans had no archers, so you might might well be talking about phrygian auxillaries. As far as I know, and I don't have an authoriative description, the leather 'helmet hat' did not resemble legionary metal ones nor did it have cheek flaps.

[Nephele]

The Romans had no archers,

 

I rather think the Romans did have archers, even if the majority of those archers weren't Roman citizens themselves. Is this what you meant, Caldrail?

 

Reference Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities: "In the Greek and Roman armies the sagittarii, more anciently called arquites, i.e. archers, or bowmen (Festus, s.v.), formed an important part of the light-armed infantry. (Caesar, Bell. Civ. i. 81, iii. 44; Cic. ad Fam. xv. 4.) They belonged, for the most part, to the allies, and were principally Cretans."

 

There's also a JSTOR article titled "Roman Arrowheads from Dinorben and the Sagittarii of the Roman Army" that might be of interest to you. I'm fortunate enough to have JSTOR access and, if you like, I'll be happy to send you a copy of the article. Just PM me your e-mail address.

 

-- Nephele

[kurtedwr]

So I guess these leather hats looked like beanies.

[DecimusCaesar]

There are some examples of Roman hats from Roman Military Dress by Graham Sumner. He displays types that go beyond the Phrygian types, including an odd looking multi-coloured hat found in Egypt, and what looks like an elongated version of an 19th century bicorn hat turned on it's side. It's not far off from looking like a Hellenistic era kausia (which was a type of beret), but unfortunately the hats aren't labelled or named.

[Maty]

There's also mention of a broad-brimmed hat type worn by both Sulla, especially at the siege of Athens, as it seems the lad did not tan well. Suetonius also tells us that Augustus used to wear a broad-brimmed item when outdoors. If these aristos wore them you can bet there were many imitators. I like the idea because its so different from how we imagine Romans to look.

[Nephele]

There's also mention of a broad-brimmed hat type worn by both Sulla, especially at the siege of Athens, as it seems the lad did not tan well. Suetonius also tells us that Augustus used to wear a broad-brimmed item when outdoors. If these aristos wore them you can bet there were many imitators. I like the idea because its so different from how we imagine Romans to look.

 

Looks like the producers of I, Claudius were paying attention to detail! Pictured below is Augustus (played by Brian Blessed):

 

 

The 1966 movie, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, also shows a Roman (Erronius, played by Buster Keaton) in one of those broad-brimmed hats:

 

 

-- Nephele