Haircut 100

[Robert Vermaat]

If Baculus is 'stick', what would be a good translation for 'stick-in-the-mud'?<br>
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Cheers,<br>
Robert<br>
<br>
'Cives Francorum, Miles Romanorum' <p></p><i></i>

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Salve,<br>
Length of hair preferred by military men has changed several times throughout history between short and long, and attitudes to facial hair between clean shaven or moustached and bearded.

What is the evidence for wearing mustaches/beards by Roman military personnel in the first c. AD?

[richsc]

In 'Roman Sex" the explanation is that long hair, like a mullet, is a sure sign of a slave, given that masters can find that a convenient grip. I don't remember any pictorial evidence for long hair on any male Roman citizen.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I know that Spartans actualy went through phases when short hair was in 'fashion'.

Also I believe the Athenians were expected to have short hair while in training, and allowed to adopt the adult style of longer hair and beards once finished!

Mind you, I would imagine I could also have my facts mixed up and backasswards, or both... all at the same time..

[Chuck Russell]

look to the emperiors, for they show the fashion of the time

[Aetius Helvius Merula]

In 'Roman Sex" the explanation is that long hair, like a mullet, is a sure sign of a slave, given that masters can find that a convenient grip. I don't remember any pictorial evidence for long hair on any male Roman citizen.

LOL! Nice explanation.

I think it would be a reason of practicality. When you live out of a pack, and have to get up, don armor, go out and do fatigue duties and such, then only a dandy would try to squeeze in time for the splendid flowing locks. They'd probably go before too long, assuming an optio or centurion didn't decide for you. Besides, like trousers, wasn't long hair usually for barbarians?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

OI, Spartans were NOT barbarians!!!!! :evil:

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Great input, everyone, thank you.

Now, let us return to the question which has revived this discussion after 5 years of silence:

What is the evidence for wearing mustaches/beards by Roman military personnel in the first c. AD?

[Aetius Helvius Merula]

Oops, sorry. I went back and looked at the date of the first post, and saw that it was indeed brought up 5 years ago. I thought it was all a current discussion.

Chuck Russell had it right. As I recall, being clean shaven was the style since mid-Republican times, but when Hadrian started wearing a beard then suddenly they were all the rage. The only source that comes to mind right now is 'A Day in Old Rome', written by WS Davis, who mentioned hairstyles (and daily life) in Hadrian's reign.

Now, Hadrian was most certainly counted as military personnel. He was their commander in chief, marched alongside his soldiers, ate what they ate, et cetera (see, I know Latin!) So, if Caesar is cool enough to march with them, then beards would be cool to wear again, no?


And BTW Citizen Angel, the Spartans may not have been barbarians, but give them fur speedos instead of leather ones, and with their rippling physiques they could do a damn good impression.

Sorry for seeming to hijack the thread. Please cancel the crucifix party

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Joel,

Yes, that is what I thought as well - the beard came into fashion with Hadrian. But what about 1 c AD? Nero did have a beard, but that did not seem to inspire a following - at least not so obvious as did the beard of Hadrian. From the images that I saw, it seems that the soldiers of the 1st AD were clean shaven. But of course I did not see all the first century images, and there are some that do depict bearded soldiers, but do not provide a date - e.g., Marcus Julius Sabinianus, in The Complete Roman Army by Adrian Goldsworthy, p. 118. Moreover, there are contemporary representations of Roman soldiers showing them bearded; e.g., "The soldier of the 1st Century AD" illustration on p. 122 of the same book. Hence my question - do we have any evidence for wearing beards and/or mustaches in the 1st c AD?

[Chuck Russell]

ya but nero had sex with a rock, dont think he's a real fashion that'll stick (HAHA )

[Aetius Helvius Merula]

Yep, if they would imitate someone's fashions, it would have to be someone they actually wanted to imitate....

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

As I recall, Nero's beard was just that, a beard. Mustaches were looked at separately and very barbarian. Germanic and/or Gallic, I believe. I seem to have read the Spartans wore beards but no mustaches. So, it's possible a man wearing a helmet with cheek guards could have a beard
and it wouldn't show. We're not talking ZZ Top. And don't forget mourning beards though I don't know how long this lasted. (Didn't Achilles have one for his friend, Patroclus?)
Alot of things changed over the years.Still do.

[AuxArcher]

When I did my military service, my hair suffered very badly from wearing a helmet all the time. Can any of the RAT-members with military experience confirm this? I guess that wearing a helmet for many hours a day for a longer period of time would decide your haircut for you, even in Roman times.<br>
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Cheers,<br>
Robert<br>
<br>
'Cives Francorum, Miles Romanorum'

<p></p><i></i>

Five years later (this is an oldish thread!), I was in when we had the M1 steel pot, and yeah, not the most comfortable thing, or stylish. It did save me at least once, though. I was a grunt, we had very, very, very short hair, so I don't recall it impacting my beautiful locks. When we went to the Fritz, same deal, really short hair. Actually, come to think of it, I wondered how the female soldiers got on with the helmet (we heard rumors they existed).

[FlaviusCrispus]

What is the evidence for wearing mustaches/beards by Roman military personnel in the first c. AD?

The Cacelleria Reliefs made during the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96) and later partially recut by Nerva (AD 96-98) show several bearded soldiers in the Emperor's entourage. It's late in the first century, true, but still first century.

In addition to Nero, Titus, a consumate soldier, is shown with a slight, stubbly beard on some of his coins as Caesar (AD 69-79) and Augustus (AD 79-81). The earlier bearded images could be interpreted as a "campaign beard" while the ones as Augustus could be seen as a "mourning beard" for his father Vespasian.