A bit of hair history for your culture.
Worn with pride by some and hidden by others, gray hairs are as old as human
existence and a sign of the passage of time. While today there is a significant
movement of women choosing to stop dyeing their hair and show it as it is,
historically, gray hair was not viewed favorably.
The reason is simple: it signals the start of our aging process, and that bothers
humans because it reminds us that we are not eternal.
The Civilization of Beauty
Greece was also known as the civilization of beauty. They influenced many other
countries and civilizations. This extreme love for beauty was also written about, as
many people said that in Athens, there were no unattractive women. In fact, the
Greeks were the ones who spread most of the cosmetic products, beauty formulas,
bath salts, and cosmetics throughout Europe—basically, all the products related to
the concept of aesthetics.
White: For the Greeks, white symbolized the color of Zeus and the gods. It also
represented the color of mourning.
Blondes like the Gods
In the Minoan period, the oldest one centered in Crete (between the 3rd and 2nd
millennia BC), men had black hair with long beards, and women adorned their long
braids with metallic accessories.
But in the Mycenaean period, which focused on mainland Greece (beginning
around 1900 BC), golden hair was the most valued, to the point that it was believed
to be the color of the gods. Since golden hair was seen as the color of the gods,
both men and women tried to achieve it by bleaching their hair using lye water,
then letting it dry in the sun.
Besides bleaching the hair, it could also be dyed with henna for the hair and
saffron for the eyebrows.
The golden color of the hair was not only a symbol of divinity but also an indication
of innocence and sensuality.
Hair as a Differentiator
The color, length, style, etc., of hair became a differentiator in ancient Greece,
indicating geographic origin, marital status, or social status, among other
characteristics.
The Married Women
Single women wore their hair loose and adorned it with bands on their foreheads,
while married women would braid their hair and wear more elaborate hairstyles.
Married women had to cover their hair with a veil when they appeared in public.
Hair Length
Women of the time tried to wear their hair as long as possible, so this length
became a key element in indicating social class.
Long hair indicated masculinity in men and femininity in women.
Short hair was reserved for slaves and was also used to mark periods of mourning.
Children also wore their hair long, but when they reached adolescence, it was cut,
and they didn’t grow it back until adulthood.
The Complexity of Hairstyles
In ancient Greece, hair didn’t need to be overly complicated, especially in the
earlier periods, when it was common for both men and women to tie their hair
above their foreheads in a style known as “krobylon”
It was during the Hellenistic period, beginning in 323 BC with the death of
Alexander the Great, those hairstyles became more intricate. Loose long hair gave
way to more braids, buns, and fringes. Just like in architecture and sculpture, a key
element in these hairstyles was symmetry, making them identical on both sides of
the head, creating artistic cascades of curls across the forehead. To achieve this,
they used nets, pins, and even fine metal spirals. Besides combs, they also used
curling irons.
Buns
This was a very aristocratic hairstyle, usually accompanied by curls hanging from
the ears. The bun could range from the crown of the head to the base of the neck,
becoming more elaborate for special occasions, when better hairpins, tiaras, and
other adornments, often made of gold, were worn.
The Ponytail (Interesting, it comes from the Spartan Greeks)
This was the distinctive hairstyle of the city-state of Sparta, probably due to its
convenience during combat and sports, disciplines in which Spartans excelled.
It was Spartan women who had the longest ponytails, decorated with beads and
pearls.
Mythological Figures and Hair
A clear example is Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, who had long blonde
hair. Her beautiful hair was captured in the painting “The Birth of Venus” by
Botticelli.
Another woman with long hair was Psyche, a princess so extraordinarily beautiful
that Aphrodite was jealous of her and who managed to make Eros (Cupid) fall in
love with her.
In mythology, another very beautiful woman with beautiful, thick hair was Pandora,
the first woman on earth, who Hephaestus, the god of fire, shaped in the image of
the immortal goddesses.
Let’s remember Calypso, known as ‘the one with beautiful braids,’ who, as her
name indicates, had long braids and was admired for her beauty and harmonious
voice. Calypso was the nymph who cared for Odysseus when he arrived on the
island of Ogygia and fell in love with him.
Mythological Events and Hair
In addition to these mythological female figures whose hair and beauty were
admired and desired by other goddesses, nymphs, or women, Greek mythology
also features stories in which hair plays a key role in the unfolding of events. For
example, the story of Medusa.
The myth explains that Medusa had a characteristic that set her apart from her
sisters: she was the only mortal and the most beautiful of all. Her beauty was so
stunning that Poseidon desired her. This angered Athena, who punished Medusa
by turning her into a soulless monster who petrified anyone who looked her in the
eye. Furthermore, Aphrodite, jealous of Medusa’s beautiful hair, did not stop at this
punishment but turned Medusa’s hair into snakes.
Beauty Treatments for Hair
In addition to trying to combat hair loss, the ancient Greeks, especially women,
would add shine to their hair by using olive oil, often with different herbs and
sometimes vinegar.
They also perfumed their hair with preparations made from boiling flowers, which
were then added to the olive oil. Moreover, they often decorated their hairstyles
with flowers held in place by tiaras.
Did you know that in Greece, the figure of the barber emerged? Barbers mainly
trimmed and shaped men’s hair and beards, massaging, brushing, curling, adding
shine, and perfuming their hair in the agora, where important public figures
gathered.
In contrast, women performed their beauty treatments inside their homes with the
help of their slaves.
Dear reader, now you can discuss hair in ancient Greece. Interesting facts, what
do you think?
