Costume in Greek Classic Drama by Brooke Iris;
Author:Brooke, Iris; [Brooke, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1900402
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2012-10-05T16:00:00+00:00
Fig. 27. Hermes and Dionysus
Dionysus also seems to specialize in transparent garments. There is no doubt in the modern mind that these transparent flowing garments are feminine, for they are constructed with groups of pleats so that in movement they cling to the figure, but “feminine” and “masculine” are difficult to define in the history of costume. At almost any given period men and women have accused each other of stealing costume characteristics from the opposite sex. The Greeks were no exceptions to this. Because Dionysus sported a clinging saffron robe he immediately becomes the butt for contemporary humour. He also wears buskins which are considered feminine. These boots have soft-footed soles with a slightly turned-up toe vaguely reminiscent of the boots worn by the Assyrians, and purposely turned up to add speed to movement in the sand. Pictures of Dionysus frequently show him wearing these boots and it would seem that this is the type of boot worn by a female chorus, though few of the fifth-century illustrations show us women wearing any sort of boot at all. There are one or two examples, however, of chorus dressing, one particularly on an Attic vase in Boston, showing two youths in the process of putting boots on their feet. We know they are dressing for a female chorus for one of them has already donned his mask, a young girl’s face with the hair done up in a sakkos at the back; another identical mask lies on the ground between them. Although all these costume details and emblems can be incorporated into the figure of the god, it is also permissible to depict him with a minimum of insignia. Thus the chaplet of leaves and flowing hair with a wand of fennel is as characteristic as a pair of boots and a faun-skin. Flowing robes and a jug of wine, bare feet and a fillet only on the head would do just as well.
The other gods and demi-gods are not quite so loaded with insignia. Heracles, whose job it is to signify strength, wears only a lion skin and carries a bludgeon. In the Frogs of Aristophanes Dionysus appears in this disguise, much to the amusement of Heracles: “ . . . Oh, ‘tis enough to make a fellow hold his sides to see this lion’s skin over a saffron robe! What does this mean? Buskins and a bludgeon? Where are you off to in this rig?” The whole of this passage must have been extremely funny to the Greeks and it gives us a revealing glimpse of what was considered masculine and what feminine.
Apollo’s costume, again, varies considerably, but however he is dressed he always carries a golden bow and arrow. In Aeschylus’ Eumenides Apollo himself threatens the furies with these weapons, “ . . . quit my prophetic sanctuary, lest you feel the gleaming snake that darts winged from my golden bow . . .” Poseidon is always represented carrying a trident and Zeus usually has his winged shaft, signifying lightning.
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