Himation

What it is

A himation is a rectangular piece of cloth, large enough to drape around the body. Ancient Greek men and women wore it from Archaic times to the Hellenistic age, a span of roughly 750 to 30 BC. It usually lay over a chiton or peplos, but it was heavier and worked like a cloak or shawl. When someone wore it without a chiton, it acted as both inner tunic and outer wrap. The garment was less bulky than the Roman toga. Vase paintings often show women using a himation as a face veil.

Origins and making

No physical himation survives, so knowledge comes from pottery, statues and decorations. The earliest evidence places it in the 6th century BCE. Wool and linen were the usual fabrics, and white was common. Women spun the fibres into yarn and wove them into a large rectangle, often at home. Professional weavers and dyers also worked in the trade. Fine linen cost more, so it belonged mainly to wealthy Greeks. Some himatia carried patterns or embroidery in strong colours, either woven into the cloth or painted onto it.

How it was worn

A himation was not fastened with pins. Men draped it over the left shoulder and wrapped it around the body, leaving the right arm free. Women could choose which arm to leave free. In Archaic Greece, men of every age and social rank wore it over a chiton, and women followed the same practice into Hellenistic times. Older boys past the age of ephebos sometimes covered themselves completely with a himation. The arrangement gave out social signals. A neat drape suggested high standing, while a disordered one could expose the body during courtship. Ancient philosophers wrote about these judgements.

Meaning and status

To ancient Greeks, the way a person arranged a himation spoke before they did. A well ordered garment marked elite rank. A careless drape invited comment, and could create chances for display in courtship between men or between men and women. Theophrastus, in his Characters, described a boorish man as one who sits with his himation pulled above his knees. Men followed unwritten rules. If the cloth dragged past the ankles, people thought it in poor taste. If the left shoulder showed, they called the man barbaric. Women used the wrap for personal style and to show social position, and in front of strangers it could serve as a veil.

In art and later use

Himation appears often on Greek gods. Athena is shown with a helmet from Attica, a peplos, an aegis bearing a small gorgoneion, and a himation. Dionysos wears a himation with an ivy wreath and holds a kantharos. The garment reached such popularity that historians use the word for several different Greek clothes. The Romans later took up the style in their own society. In the Byzantine era the same wrap continued in Christian images. It appeared on Christ and Mary and on figures from scripture, and poorer people also wore it.

How Himation is kept

In ancient Greece, both men and women wore the himation, and children had their own way of using it. A man placed the cloth over his left shoulder and wound it around his body, leaving the right arm out. A woman could choose to free her left or right arm. No pins held the fabric. It usually went on over a chiton or peplos. When worn alone, it covered the body like a tunic and cloak at once. Older boys might wrap themselves entirely. The final arrangement mattered: a tidy drape signalled status, a loose one sent a different message.

When and where

The himation belongs to ancient Greece, not to a single day. People wore it between Archaic and Hellenistic times, a span of about 750 to 30 BC. Evidence from the 6th century BCE shows it in use. No calendar date or festival is tied to it; it was ordinary dress and formal dress across those centuries.

It was kept most strongly in ancient Greece, where men and women wore it in public and private life. Vase paintings, pottery and statues from Greek lands show it. The style later reached ancient Rome, where Romans took it into their society. In the Byzantine era it continued in Christian art and among people of humble rank.

What Himation means

For those who wore it, a himation carried meaning beyond warmth. A properly arranged wrap marked elite standing. A disordered one could reveal the body and open space for courtship. Ancient Greek writers judged character from the drape, and Theophrastus used a badly worn himation to paint a boorish man. The garment also appeared on gods, which gave it a place in myth and image. For women, it could signal personal style, social rank, and modesty when it served as a veil.

Questions people ask about Himation

See also

TablionAn embroidered panel on the ceremonial mantle of Byzantine courtiers.PeronaiA long straight pin that fastened Greek clothing, and a weapon in Greek legendKynodesmeA cord ancient Greek athletes tied around the foreskin to stay modest in public.ChitonA draped tunic of wool or linen worn across ancient Greece and Rome

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Ancient Greek ClothingWorld History Encyclopedia, Article
• Ancient Greek ClothingWorld History Encyclopedia, Article

• Himation on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-11.