Images & Info for Byzantine Garb
Byzantine Fashion Terminology:
Clothes
Jewelry
Materials
Patterns:
A roundel, or orbiculus, is a common design on brocaded patterns, block prints, and painted motifs throughout Byzantium (and many other countries), being a circling detail around the primary image. Roundels are often separated by four-pointed patterns, often with details of leaves, palmettes, or an ornamental tree - often thought to be the Tree of Life, which in Christian imagery represents a special tree in the Garden of Eden that provides an eternal, life-giving relationship with God which humanity could not partake of until after the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus).
Animals have meaning in Christian imagery as well. Lions depict strength, predatory ferocity, majesty, and leadership. Many historical brocaded patterns show lions (winged or otherwise) looking at birds or eagles overhead. Various birds hold different meaning in Christian imagery. Eagles are a sign of strength, owls represent desolation (Isaiah 34:11), doves represent the Holy Spirit (often making an appearance at the baptism of Jesus), the finch represents Christ's Passion, and the peacock represents immortality (as discussed under the Historical Jewelry section on this page to the right). Dragons have a few meanings in the world of Christianity, primarily an "evil power" or "Satan." There are two dragons in the bible. One called Leviathan from the Old Testament (Job 3:8, Job 41:1-34; Psalms 74:13-14; Psalms 104:25-26; and Isaiah 27:1)."There was nothing else on earth like him. God made him mightier, stronger and more fierce than anything, including man. God used the leviathan to remind us that there is no one else like Himself... and there is only one God who can kill the powerful and feared Leviathan (Psalm 74:14)." The second, Satan in the New Testament in the book of Revelation (12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 17; 13:1, 2, 4, 11; 16:13 and 20:2). "Revelation 20:2 tells us the dragon is the devil or Satan. The dragon appears to symbolize power (Revelation 13:2) and again God conquers with power (Revelation 20:2). Satan is an evil angel (Ezekiel 28:14), a created being – a cherub who used to live in heaven with God. In Revelation the term dragon is another name for Satan and is also symbolic of Satan’s real power." The 13th century German pattern above shows the paired lions looking up at doves or finches with small dragons standing below the forepaws the of the lions.
Early Byzantine Period - 4th-7th Centuries:
From Late Antiquity to the earlier Roman fashions:
For women: a stola, a wide tunic or scarf, symbolized respectability and morality.
For men: a toga.
Late Antiquity and Early Medieval period
For women: An unbelted tunic called dalmatic.
For men: the style of toga (a long cloth drped don the shoulders and around the body) with a wide flat balteus and the sinus held by the left arm continued into the fourth century. This attire choice was bsed on the desire to associate oneself with the beauty of the Roman Empire and to show one's relationship with the new imperial power.
The balteus was the section hanging down the left side of the body which was again pulled out over the shoulder to lie over the top layers (see Figure 1 below), changing form in the 4th century to be arranged in many small folds instead of one wide smooth band. The article was draped over the left front of the body and folded into a wide band, created by the end section of the cloth to then be brought across the back under the right arm and brought diagonally across the body (see Figure 2 below).
Figure 1 of balteus prior to 4th century.
Figure 1 of balteus after the 4th century.
Emperor Theodosius and Justinian wore campagi, the purple (or red as described in the imperial dye section of Byzantine History) imperial purple shoes. They wore practically the same attire: a short tunic (as was the military style) under a chlamys (mantle, or cloak), tight trousers covering the whole leg including the foot and campagi, decorating the chlamys with a tablion, a rectangular purple panel ornamented with gold thread. Further decorations on the emperor would include a diadem (bejeweled crown) decorated with praipendula (pendants) on his head and a disc fibula (an alternative style being a crossbow fibula) to secure his chlamys in place on his right shoulder.
A simple T-shaped tunic or chiton was commonly used by both men and women. Tunics were worn in the military, reaching the knees and titled by the cingulum militiae (belt). A tunic would be worn over trousers. In the colder seasons, an inner tunic called linea or kamision would be worn. Variants of the tunic were the dalmatica (a long tunic with wide sleeves worn unbelted in combination with a cloak), the sticharion (a richly decorated tunic), and the colobium (a long tunic with short or no sleeves. Tunics were often decorated with square or circular roundels on the upper arms and lower front and back of the tunic.
Going back to the chlamys for a moment, this garment was usually made for men. It was a significant military garment, and eventually was adopted to express imperial power. Empress Theodora, Justinian's wife, wore a chlamys in the mosaic portrait across from Justinian. Empress Ariadne was also portrayed wearing a chlamys in a diptych (a painting or carving on hinged panels that can be closed like a book). The intention is to represent the empresses as holders of power just as their husbands did. For the most part, clothing was gendered with men wearing military-based styles and women wearing longer tunics and jewelry to distinguish themselves from men. The most common chlamys was hip-length, semi-circular in shape, and from the 4th century was reserved for soldiers and officers. Military officials wore long, ankle-length cloaks adorned with a tablion, pinned by a crossbow fibula (as seen in Theodora's mosaic) or a disc fibula (as seen in Justinian's mosaic). Women would more typically wear a palla, a single piece of material draped over the shoulders and around the body, or over the head as well.
From the fourth century onward, women decorated themselves with beautiful headdresses embellished with gold, pearls, and other precious stones. From the 4th-5th century, hair was parted in the middle, divided in two braids, and gathered around the neck. These two plaits (braids) may also encircle the head and be decorated with pearls like crown. The prependulia Theodora wears in her mosaic are encrusted with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. Such jewelry was considered inappropriate for Christian women, which is why the Virgin and saints do not wear them. Earrings were only worn by lay persons, or nonordained members of the church, like the empress or her ladies in court.
The backstory of the persona Nicasia Leontodes places her in 6th-century Byzantium, being born in 527 AD and bringing her through the early stages of silk production in Byzantium past the middle of the century. Should any reader be interested in reading about Byzantine garb history from 8th-12th century Middle Byzantine Period, the Sassanian and Persian Influence in Elite Dress, or 13th-century onward in the Late Byzantine Period (finding the resources that provided the details on this history), please click the link attached to the "Fashion History Timeline" headline above.
Jewelry
Helpful Sources about Byzantine Garb (history, making, and wearing):
Byzanbeanie (kamelaukion, with images of the green St. Julien Rimini brocade this SCAdian can't get her hands on!)
Ditching the Donut (wearing a proper fakiolion, or a Byzantine turban).
Magistrissa Anna Dokeianina Syrakousina states in her blog that she prefers to represent the era of 900-1204 AD Byzantine style and appears to lean toward being as historically-accurate as possible while making her garments whereas this SCAdian leans mostly toward the Early Byzantine Period (6th-century) with some additional Middle and Late Byzantine Period influence with Byzantine brocaded silk patterns and embroidery for heraldic or consort imagery (some of her garb can also be influenced from places outside of Constantinople due to purchasing from garb-makers who have supply of brocaded silks no longer available for purchase from sellers of silk).
Anna lists her mundane name in her blog on her About page: "Angela Costello holds a BA in History with a minor in Classics from the University of Rhode Island, and an MA in History with an option in Museum Studies from the University of New Hampshire. She academically focuses on archaeology and anthropology of Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, predominately of Rome and her successor, Byzantium. Her master’s thesis is a study of the inventory belonging to Kale Pakouriane, a Byzantine patrikia (lady patrician) from the late 11th Century, it was published as Compleat Anachronist #177." That certainly explains her heavy leanings into historical accuracy :)
Fashion History Timeline of Byzantium:
Notes from the Early Byzantine Period can be seen typed out above.
Collected Images of Byzantine Garb (330 AD - 1453 AD)
A modern-day interpretation of Justinian wearing his imperial garb from his mosaic with details on his military tunic including square and roundel embroidery.
Viking Oserberg & Museo Sacro Silk replica from Living History Market (was also available in red).
8th/10th century dress pattern on Byzantine woman, replica seen on first image from image on the left.
Images from By the Emperor's Hand: Military Dress and Court Regalia in the Later Romano-Byzantine Empire (source for images being Pinterest).
Shoes:
"A great variety of footwear is found, with sandals, slippers and boots to the mid-calf all common in manuscript illustrations and excavated finds, where many are decorated in various ways. The colour red, reserved for Imperial use in male footwear, is actually by far the most common colour for women's shoes.... Not many shoes are seen clearly in Byzantine Art because of the long robes of the rich. Red shoes marked the Emperor; blue shoes, a sebastokrator (senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire); and green shoes a protovestiarios (high Byzantine court position, usually reserved for eunachs).... Some soldiers, including later Imperial portraits in military dress, show boots nearly reaching the knee - red for the Emperor. In the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Emperors there are shoes or slippers in Byzantine style made in Palermo before 1220 (Tzangion). They are short, only to the ankle, and generously cut to allow many different sizes to be accommodated. They are lavishly decorated with pearls and jewels and gold scrollwork on the sides and over the toe of the shoe. More practical footwear was no doubt worn on less formal occasions. Outside labourers would either have sandals or be barefoot. The sandals follow the Roman model of straps over a thick sole.... Some examples of the Roman caligae or military boot are also seen on shepherds."
While the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire is known to wear red shoes, this trend was also shared by another kind of noblemen, the pope of the Roman Catholic church. The colour is symbolic of many things, including the representation of the "blood spilled of Christian martyrs following in the footsteps of Christ... and are also linked to Christ's own bloodied feet as he was prodded, whipped, and pushed along the Via Dolorosa on his way to his crucifixion." Pope Francis caused a minor stir when he opted to wear black loafers instead of the traditional red for his pontificate.