Pants And Boots Were Forbidden In Ancient Rome – Trousers Were A Symbol Of Barbarism To Ancient Romans

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - If you lived in ancient Rome, you would think twice before putting on your pants.

To ancient Romans, trousers were the ultimate symbol of barbarism, and no honorable man wanted to be considered the garb of a savage barbarian.

Credit: Costumes of All Nations (1882) by Albert Kretschmer - Public Domain

There was even a law that strictly prohibited wearing pants and boots in ancient Rome.

Pants and boots (called in Latin 'bracae') were associated with horse-riding barbarians, including many Germanic groups such as Goths, Huns, Vikings, and others.

The term "Barbarians" is today significantly misused. The original meaning of the word "barbarian" did not refer to acts of evil but rather to those who were not Greek or did not speak Greek. In modern times we often say Barbarians are uncivilized people or evil people.

When Ovid, a Roman poet who lived during Augustus's reign, encountered barbarians in today's Tomis, Romania, he wrote:

"The people, even when they were not dangerous, were odious, clothed in skins and trousers with only their faces visible."

One law from 397 and another dated to 399 CE strictly regulated wearing pants and boots in Rome.

Within the city of Rome, no one shall wear pants or boots. But if any man after the issuance of this regulation of Our Clemency should obstinately persist in such contumacy, he shall be punished accordingly as his legal status permits and expelled from our sacred city (Codex Theodosianus, 14.10.3 (June 6, 399 CE)

Gaulish chief Vercingetorix, wearing trousers, surrenders to Julius Caesar after the battle of Alesia in 52 B.C. Painting by Lionel Royer (1852–1926) - Credit: Public Domain

According to Susanne Elm, a historian from the University of California, Berkeley, who studies Rome's relationship with the tribes to the north, "barbarian influence on fashion was something that emperors wanted to control, but then their bodyguards, which presumably they trusted, were barbarians."

The ban on trousers and boots was a desperate attempt to keep the Roman identity alive. During this period, the Empire had become a melting pot of traditions after hundreds of years of expansion and cultural appropriation. Long hair and flashy jewels soon joined boots and pants as forbidden fashion.

"By the fifth and sixth centuries, suddenly the so-called barbarian custom, sleeved top, and trousers had become the official uniform of the Roman court. If you were close to the emperor, that's what you would wear." Professor Kelly Olson, the author of "Masculinity and Dress in Roman Antiquity," said. "Scholars have not yet been able to explain how that happened, trousers going from being banned from being legally required clothes for the Roman court."

It could be explained by the fact that ancient Romans, who were totally against trousers and boots, changed their attitude when Roman soldiers marched into cold Northern Europe and realized the benefits of wearing warm clothes and shoes.

Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer

Updated on October 29, 2022

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