RomanArmyTalk

Why did byzantinians wore beards since the 6-th-7th centuries AD?

Beards are largely driven by cultural standards. Beards were commonly worn by men in the Mediterranean basin for much of history. Alexander the Great is the one who set the "new" fashion for being clean-shaven. The Greek East always favored beards. That is one reason that Hadrian may have adopted a beard, though his having facial blemishes from acne may have been another reason. In the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) world a beard would also have distinguished "normal" men from eunuchs-who due to their castrated state, could not grow beards. Eunuchs were often officials in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Imperial Court.

But Romans also lived in the Mediterranean region. And eunuchs were also in Roman world, not only in Byzantium.

Quote:The Greek East always favored beards.

Not always. During the 4th century for instance, the emperor Julian (The Apostate) wore a beard to resembled a (non-Christian) philisopher. The fashion at that time was clean-shaven, which ia also seen in Christian art: earlier depictions of Christ show him clean-shaven.

Quote:Why did byzantinians wore beards since the 6-th-7th centuries AD?

Hello Eugene,

I think you'll find men of the Bizantine world wore beards extenting well before 6th-7th centuries AD, people like Homer (and Jethro), probably Herodotus, and several cavemen who were proto-Greek. Due to lineal custom, they probably wore beards or not, depending on how furry they could get. Some men, even Europoid can't grow a "handsome" beard. Franky, I recall myself on the cover of a national magazine looking like ZZ Top!:roll: Now my trimmed "winter" beard goes when summer arrives.

The mosaics in Ravenna (Italy, yes, but put there by the Eastern Roman emperor) show most of the men are clean shaven (even the representations of Jesus showed him without a bread). That was fifth and sixth century.