Byzantium

About 330aC emperor Constantine the Great chose Constantinople as capital of the Roman Empire, because of its location on the crossroads of the two main trade routes of the time - the land road leading from Europe to Mesopotamia and the sea crossing of Bosporus, which linked the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.

The change from ancient to Byzantine costume began (c.400) with the end of the Roman Empire. The social and financial status as well the profession, the age and sex were the main factor for costumes during Byzantine period. Costume was the identity for the two main parts of Byzantine society, a) the higher urban class with aristocrats, provincial officials (public and military) and clergy and b) the poor citizens, servants, monks, soldiers and farmers.

Both men and women wore a double tunic; the under tunic, called tunica , with long sleeves and the girded wool over tunic, called dalmatica.

Another over-garment for women only was the stola.
Cloak was also an outer wear in different style , the paludamentum in semi-circle or trapazoid shapes and the pae

nula, a full circle cloak.

Byzantine art and especially mosaics and icons are the basic recourses for this period's costumes.

Read more about Byzantine Costumes - see Photo Gallery with Mosaics ...

		Tunica was the basic article of clothing in Byzantium of both men and women . For the lower classes, it was the everyday working garment (named also "milote"). For the upper classes, it was the under layment of some of the richest clothing in history. It was constructed of linen, silk and occasionally Egyptian cotton. Although the tunica is an undergarment does not mean it was not ornamented. All examples found of tunicas are ornamented, even if very simply. The tunica was not constructed of cut fabric like modern garments, but woven entire like a giant cross, with a neck slit woven in the center. Read more ...

		The dalmatica is the unisex over-garment of the Byzantines. It began as a tunica, and later became more tailored. Dalmaticas were worn both belted and unbelted. Most dalmatics are undyed linen, wool or silk and trimmed in purples, but ornament existed in many other colors as well, such as brown, yellow, green, gold, pink, maroon, red, orange, coral and black. A few coloured dalmatica existed in red, ochre, yellow and orange. The upper class dalmatica would be trimmed with tapestry woven fabrics, ornamented richly. Read more ...

		Outwear cloths The stola of Byzantium is a woman's garment, unchanged from the Roman time period. It consists of a large folded rectangle, woven with a neck slit and sewn closed from wrist to hem. Cloaks There were about three similar types of cloaks. Decorative spot sometimes used to show the rank of the wearer . Cloaks would be pinned on the right shoulder for ease of movement. Read more about Byzantine Costumes and Mosaics See the Photo Gallery

Page's Recourses: We use parts and some photos (asking permission) from The Basics of Byzantine Dress 1000 A.D http://www.gryph.com/byzantine/dress.htm by Dawn Vukson - Van Beek 2. Metropolitan Museum of Art's (The Glory of Byzantium) - http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/Byzantium/byzhome.html 3. Questia, online academic library (http://www.questia.com/Index.jsp?CRID=byzantine_empire&OFFID=se1&KEY=byzantine_empire) intered Kallitheas, On Track Team's case study. Leonidas M. was responsible for this part of our work. Recommended Resolution 1024 x 728 - Last update 15/04/2005