Hairstyles
Like clothing, hair played a part in how Roman women and men expressed themselves to the world. For this reason, hairstyles often embody the same cultural tensions as other forms of luxuria. Many things influenced how Romans wore their hair: looks, age, social status, and public office. For women, hair played a major role in perceived individual attractiveness and as a result, many hours could be spent in search of the perfect style.
Although an elite Roman woman’s intricate hairstyle might be the subject of satire and jibes, it is important to recognise that portraits depicting hairstyles were intended to be positive images. Sometimes Roman moralists are misleading and, far from representing luxuria, close attention to personal appearance, including hair, was expected of Roman women. Simple hairstyles could be achieved without much effort, by the addition of a ribbon or hairpin, as described by the Roman poet Martial (Ep. 14.24): ‘Lest damp hair harm bright silks, let a pin fix and hold up the twisted locks’. But elite women often chose to adopt more luxuriant styles that showed off their wealth and status.
Equally for men, Roman society dictated that too much attention to personal appearance was a symbol of effeminacy. It is common to find Roman men discredited in literature by reference to their personal grooming habits. While trimming of hair and shaving the face were daily routines for men, Julius Caesar’s detractors charged that he was ‘somewhat overnice in the care of his person… even having superfluous hair plucked out’ (Suet. Iul. 45.2). Hair could therefore define the cultured Roman, or demonstrate their vulgarity.
“His baldness was a disfigurement that troubled him greatly, since he found that it was often the subject of the jibes of his detractors.”
Suetonius, Julius Caesar, 45.2
Roman men’s hairstyles were generally short and worn without a beard, but by the time of Hadrian, a full beard came into vogue. Baldness was considered a disfigurement by Julius Caesar who sported a comb-over to hide his bald patch. Women wore their hair long and over time, taller and more intricate styles became fashionable.
“She weighs down her head with tiers upon tiers and piles her head high with storeys upon storeys. From the front you’ll see an Andromache, but from behind she’s smaller.”
Juvenal, Satires, 6.502
A wealthy woman might employ an ornatrix (stylist) to achieve these complicated hairstyles, using linen stiffened with wax or removable hairpieces to add volume. Despite appearing extravagant, maintaining a complex hairstyle could also denote poise and discipline, even though the satirist Juvenal poked fun at women’s attention to their appearance.
