Feminalia

Soldiers with Feminalia, Trajan's Column in Rome

Feminalia were trousers in the Roman Empire that reached from the waist to below the knee.

Description and use

Feminalia were tight-fitting, trouser-like garments made of wool that reached below the knees. To hold them in place, they were rolled around the waist using a belt. They were mainly used to protect against the cold and to cushion the thighs. A tunic was worn over them and felt socks ( Tibialia ) were worn below . They were worn when hunting, on horseback and by the military.

Above all, they were worn by Roman legionaries who were stationed in cold regions, such as B. on the Limes or in Britain . The Feminalia were not standard equipment, but a personal item of clothing for the soldiers. It was initially considered unmanly in the Roman Legion to wear such trousers, and legionaries who wore them anyway as a prevention against colds were mocked.

literature

• Feminalia . In: Karl Ernst Georges : Comprehensive Latin-German concise dictionary . Volume 1: A - H. 8th, improved and enlarged edition. Hahn, Hannover et al. 1913, p. 2715.
• Peter Connolly , Hazel Dodge: The Ancient City. Life in Athens & Rome. Könemann, Cologne 1998, ISBN 3-8290-1104-0 .
• Liza Cleland, Glenys Davies, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones: Greek and Roman dress from A to Z. Routledge, London et al. 2007, ISBN 0-203-93880-1 ( online ).