07-10-2011, 09:51 PM
The Latin barbarusis certainly derivative of the Greek barbaros, both meaning "foreigner." The etymology is onomotopoetic in that the word barbarus was thought to mimick the unintelligible sounds of those who did not speak the language. I am not around my Oxford Latin Dictionary at the moment and so cannot say what connection, if any, there is with the Latin barba, or "beard."
I think Matt's comment about statuary is right on the money. Not only were sculptures often of the wealthy, but no sculptor would have sculpted you with bad morning hair or snot running down your nose. While the Romans did go for realism in the sculptures, including the wart or the hooked nose if that is what you had, there would be no point in deliberately sculpting someone in a slovenly appearance. We should not, however, deduce from this that the Romans were never slovenly.
I think Matt's comment about statuary is right on the money. Not only were sculptures often of the wealthy, but no sculptor would have sculpted you with bad morning hair or snot running down your nose. While the Romans did go for realism in the sculptures, including the wart or the hooked nose if that is what you had, there would be no point in deliberately sculpting someone in a slovenly appearance. We should not, however, deduce from this that the Romans were never slovenly.
