Rome: Our Ancestral Cradle
As ancient Roman society reached greater structural complexity, Romans began to
place increasing importance on their physical appearance and their hair, as
hairstyles and attire signified age, social status, and even religious beliefs.
From the Republic to the Late Empire, we will observe how aesthetics and hairstyle
trends evolved for men and women, and what drove these changes.
For ancient Romans, hair loss was a significant concern. A thick head of hair was
directly associated with masculinity, youth, bravery, and even fertility. These virtues
were often represented by the image of a lion, characterized by its abundant mane.
Conversely, alopecia was considered a true affliction, a sign of decrepitude and old
age. Perhaps the most famous of the emperors, Julius Caesar, had a particular
concern about his hair loss. It is said that his lover Cleopatra provided him with
various remedies to address this issue, though with little success. Chronicles of the
time recount that he combed the long strands of hair from the nape of his neck
forward to try to conceal his baldness.
He even obtained permission from the Senate to wear the laurel crown
permanently, which was previously reserved solely for events dedicated to the god
Apollo. In this way, he managed to partially cover the areas of his head lacking hair
with the leaves.
Other emperors who followed him opted to have wigs made, often using natural
hair cut from slaves, many of whom came from Gaul. Due to the blonde color of
this hair, the custom of dyeing hair blonde became widespread among both men
and women in the empire. This was a way to hide gray hair, another characteristic
considered a sign of old age and weakness.
Romans were very concerned with their personal appearance, and aesthetic
standards were largely determined by the image of their rulers. This image was
disseminated and, in most cases, enhanced through statues, coins, or paintings. It
is well known that when short, wavy hair styled like Emperor Hadrian’s became
popular, many people began using an iron tool called a calamistrum, which was
heated in embers and applied to the hair to create curls resembling the ruler’s.
Two thousand years later, many of those ancient Roman customs regarding hair
care and concerns about hair loss remain practically the same in our modern
society. This is evident in daily dermatology consultations, where hair-related
topics are highly important for both men and women.
Hair was very important in Rome. Plebeians and patricians, though especially the
latter, invested considerable time and money in improving the appearance of their
hair. It was a matter of status and presence.
When we think of Rome, figures like Romulus and Remus, Julius Caesar, or
Marcus Aurelius might quickly come to mind. All of them were Romans, though for
the twins—particularly Remus—some doubts remain. However, there are centuries
separating them. Romulus was the first king of Rome and its legendary founder in
the 8th century BCE, during a period known as the Roman Monarchy. Afterward
came the Roman Republic, lasting from the 6th to the 1st century BCE; Julius
Caesar belongs to the final years of this period. Marcus Aurelius was part of the
Roman Empire era, which lasted from the 1st to the 3rd century CE before
declining from the 4th century onward. The fall of the Western Roman Empire,
typically associated with iconic Roman imagery, is dated to 476 CE. The eastern
part of the empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, endured until the mid-15th
century.
We are speaking of more than 1,000 years of history.
Despite this vast time span, the importance that Romans placed on their hair
remained significant. Hairstyles changed—at first, men avoided beards, and
women avoided long hair—but over time, styles became more diverse. Even so,
early Romans did not hesitate to adopt styles that had already become popular
among the Greek upper classes.
For patricians leading leisurely lives, baldness was particularly bothersome,
whether in its early stages or in its more advanced forms. Total hair loss was
synonymous with diminished masculinity. Solutions to disguise it included styled
comb-overs (like the still-common “curtain” style), dyes (gray hair was also
unwelcome), imaginative ointments, and painting the scalp. More ingenious tricks
included the legendary laurel crown that Julius Caesar never parted with, which
helped mask his hair deficiencies.
Julius Caesar
If hair loss was worrisome, was long hair then desirable? Absolutely not. Long,
unkempt hair was associated with barbarism, so it was forbidden among
respectable Roman citizens. This applied to women as well: for centuries, no
woman appeared in public without her hair styled up.
Roman Hairstyles
What we now understand as a Roman hairstyle—combed toward the face with an
uneven fringe featuring tongue-shaped strands—is a simplification of the many
variants employed by the hairdressers of the time. Their primary tool was not
scissors, which were rudimentary, but the calamistrum, an iron rod heated in a fire
to create curls. Like the Greeks, whose gods never had straight hair, Romans
loved curls and did not hesitate to shorten the life of their hair follicles by subjecting
them to searing iron. (The result is unsurprising: laurel crowns for all.)
For women, curls were also very common. Since wearing long hair loose was not
allowed and cutting it in a masculine style was prohibited, updos became the best
solution. Braids, buns, and various updos with pins and ribbons—and sometimes
all at once—were so common that today one can visit a hairdresser and request a
modernized version of a classic Roman hairstyle, though the stylist might add, “Oh,
yes, a Greek hairstyle.”
As we can see, hair played an important role in Roman history and was often a
symbol of beauty and power. –
