Conspicuous concealment : an investigation into the veiling of Roman women, with special reference to the time of Augustus.

Abstract

Although there is much evidence for the practice of female veiling in the Classical world

it has for the most part been ignored.

Evidence for the veiling of Roman women is found in many sources. Ancient

lexicographers list many names for veils that these women wore. Each of these veils was

particular to the context in which they were worn and by whom they were worn. The

plenitude of veiling terminology as well as the specialized nature of these veils alerts the

reader to the importance that the Romans attributed to the veil, suggesting that it formed

an important part of their culture and this is described in visual and literary terms by

ancient artists and writers.

From discussions on modern veiling it is possible, through the application of a

comparative methodology, to create models that can elucidate the Roman system. From

anthropological studies undertaken on modern veiling cultures, it can be appreciated

how notions of 'honour' and 'shame,' a belief in the evil-eye, the polluting force of the

female body and the use of the veil as a means of sexual communication influenced

Roman veiling. In this way it becomes possible to understand how the veil became a

marker for the positive forces of femininity and for the containment of the negative

influences. The veil became a signifier of sound gender relations. The fact that this

vestimentary code is able to generate meaning in the minds of observers is because it

works in conjunction with a rhetorical system of dress.

The practice of veiling is therefore viewed by the Romans in a positive light, and its

disruption is understood by them as a cause for concern. This concern was especially

apparent during the late republic. The dissolution of the traditional forms of government

was in some ways problematized in terms of gender, with women's abandonment of

their traditional roles and their incursion into the public sphere being of specific

importance. In order to remedy this, attempts were made by the new regime of Augustus

to promote a return to what were seen to be traditional gender relations. This programme

of moral reform made use of both formal, legalistic decree (the Julian marriage laws)

and more propagandistic constructions (the public works of art). In this process

traditional symbols assumed a high degree of salience. Because of its power to signify

the beneficial and appropriate status of the female body, one of the most important of

these symbols was the veil.

In this dissertation the artistic and literary manifestations of veiling and its social and

political significance are discussed with specific reference to the Augustan period.