ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

, an ''angusticlavia'', ''angusticlavus'' or ''angustus clavus'' was a narrow-strip tunic (''tunica'') with two narrow vertical Tyrian purple stripes (''clavi'', singular ''clavus''). The tunic was typically worn under the toga with the right side stripe visible.

Usage and significance

The ''angusticlavia'' was the tunic associated with the rank and office of the '' eques'', or equestrians, one of the two highest legal orders in aristocratic Rome. Order members were military men, often patricians (''patrici''), who served as the

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

units in war. During times of peace they frequently served as personal assistants to Roman senators. Equestrians wore the ''angusticlavia'' under the '' trabea'', a short toga of distinctive form and color. They also wore equestrian shoes ('' calcei''), and a gold ring ('' anulus aureus''). The tunic's stripes were about an inch wide, which contrasted with the senator's '' laticlavus'', which bore three-inch wide stripes. The ''angusticlavias purple-hued bands distinguished members of the equestrian order from other Roman dignitaries and from regular citizens. In ancient Rome, the color purple became increasingly linked to the higher classes, and eventually to the

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

and the empire's magistrates. Thus, the ''angusticlavia'' served to indicate social status above regular citizenry but below senators and magistrates. On certain occasions, particularly during times of political or social upheaval, senators in Rome chose to wear the equestrian tunic as a public display of distress. This practice was part of the semi- egalitarian legacy of the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

. In 58 BCE, when the tribune of the plebs Clodius was pushing Cicero into exile, the senators took on the ''angusticlavia'' in public protest. In 53 BCE, during a period of civic violence, the consuls put aside their senatorial dress (the laticlavus) and summoned the Senate in equestrian attire (the ''angusticlavia''). Over the course of ancient Roman history, the angusticlavia lost its symbolic meaning and class association. Wall paintings and other representations of the Roman past "show all types of men and boys wearing stripes of similar width – but there were later attempts to enforce or reintroduce the senatorial and equestrian classes".

Etymology

The Latin word ''angusticlavia'' is compounded of '' angustus'' ('narrow'; 'small') and '' clavus'' ('nail'; 'stud'). The word ''clavus,'' or 'nail', refers to the stripes, for being as long as nails. The term ''angustus'', or 'narrow', refers to these stripes or ornaments as being slimmer than on the senatorial laticlavus.

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{{Ancient Rome topics state=expanded Dresses Society of ancient Rome Roman-era clothing

Usage and significance

Etymology

See also

References

External links