What did ancient Greeks wear in the winter? A natural question, as all extant statues of Greek men and women in antiquity depict them dressed in light chitons and sandals.
How, then, were the ancient Greeks dressed in winter time? Wasn’t it cold in antiquity? How did they deal with snow and heavy rainfall? What does ancient Greek history and mythology tell us about snow and the winter?
History and meteorology tells us that the climate in Ancient Greece showed significant similarities to the modern mild Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and mild winters.
Ancient Greek art, especially as expressed in statues and vases from the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, depicts men and women wearing simple, light clothing suitable for a warm and dry climate, as if winter didn’t exist.
The lack of depictions of ancient Greeks in winter clothing is due to various artistic, cultural and practical ideas at the time.
First of all, ancient Greek sculpture sought to accentuate the ideal form of the human body. Artists preferred to present gods, heroes and citizens either in clothing that demonstrated physical perfection, or naked, especially men. A winter garment gave a different image. Most statues represent deities, athletes or important personalities in ceremonial or public contexts. On such occasions they wore the traditional chlamys, or peplos, which were usually light clothes.
Athletes, heroes and gods were often depicted naked because gymnastics and nudity were associated with valor, virtue and bodily harmony.
Ancient Greek clothes for winter
Although snowfall was not that frequent, the ancient Greeks were not unfamiliar with cold weather conditions. Archaeologists tell us that when it was cold they wore a type of cape called “ιμάτιον” (himation), a single piece of thick woolen fabric that was passed over the shoulder and wrapped around the body, which allowed for flexibility and comfort.
Under their garments, women wore a strophion as a bra; it was a large woolen strip of cloth wrapped around the breasts and shoulders. Men and women sometimes wore a triangular undergarment called a perizoma.
Because clothes were rarely cut or sewn, ancient Greeks used pins, buttons and buckles to hold them in place. Large pins called perones were worn on the shoulders, facing downwards, to hold the tunic or veil in place, while sometimes belts, shawls or sashes were tied at the waist, replacing the buckles.
Young men and soldiers wore the chlamys, a smaller woolen cloak that was tied over one shoulder. In winter, heavier versions made of thicker wool were worn. According to ancient sources, affluent Greeks would wear a himation with long sleeves. Women wore a type of shawl called epivlima.
Shoes for the winter
Finally, it is worth noting that although most Greeks did not often wear hats, in winter they used the petasos, a wide-brimmed hat that offered protection from the cold and rain.
Snow in Greek mythology
Greek mythology included stories about snow, indicating that it was not a rare weather phenomenon. In one myth, Zeus brings snow to humanity by shooting his arrows, as described in Homer’s Iliad.
In other texts referring to winter in Ancient Greece, snow is associated with a nymph named Chione ( her name, χιόνι, means snow in Greek). This particular myth exists in many versions. Chione is attributed with various personas and has a variety of parental origins. In one story, she is described as the daughter of the river god Nile and the Oceanid Callirrhoe. She lived in the fields and suffered from the abuse of a farmer.
In retaliation for this injustice, Zeus commanded Hermes to transform Chione into a cloud of snow. When the cloud of snow (χιόνι) fell, it destroyed the farmer’s crops. It was a form of cosmic justice or punishment for the offense Chione was subjected to.
According to another story, Chione is mentioned as the daughter of Boreas, the god of the north, and Oreithyia, the daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens. Boreas is considered the personification of the north and winter, and he brought the cold wind to Greece from the north, specifically from Thrace. According to the story, the Athenians prayed to Boreas for help in the Persian Wars against Xerxes, and it seems that their prayer was answered.
Chione, in this version, gave birth to a god-child, Eumolpus, by the god Poseidon. As she was afraid that her father would find out, she threw him into the sea. However, Poseidon saved the child and raised him. Finally, in another version, it is stated that Chione was the daughter of Arcturus, and had three sons with Boreas. These sons became priests of the god Apollo in the land of the Hyperboreans.
In Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” Chione is mentioned as the beautiful daughter of Daedalus. According to the story, she slept with two gods, the god Apollo and the god Hermes, on the same night, and had children by them. Chione, proud of her beauty and feminine qualities, began to boast that she was more beautiful than the goddess Artemis. In response, Artemis sent her arrows to take her life. This represented a lesson in excessive pride. The punishment of Snow by the goddess Artemis with arrows corresponds to the theme of the gods’ indignation against the arrogance and pride of mortals.
What did the Ancient Greeks think about snow?
Homer’s reference to the Elysian Fields, where there is no snow, reflects their positive image in the culture of the ancient Greeks. The Elysian Fields were considered the final destination of heroes and honorable people, a place where life was pleasant and indestructible. The lack of snow, rain and storms suggests the idea of an ideal climate, free from the difficulties associated with bad weather phenomena.
With regard to the dangers of snow, Xenophon’s descriptions are evidence of the difficulties faced by soldiers during campaigns in snowy terrains. Problems such as loss of visibility and frostbite posed serious threats to the survival of troops. Military operations in ancient Greece were adapted to climatic conditions, and the winter period was generally considered undesirable for military campaigns due to adverse weather conditions.
Thus, the ancient Greeks viewed winter snow as a phenomenon that made life difficult, especially in wartime, and its absence was desirable, as is evident from mythological descriptions and the works of ancient authors.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
