Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1136 TOGA. TOGA.
that dignity which consists in width of chest will be
lost. This direction appears to mean that the part
brought across the chest (velut balteus) should not
be drawn too tight.
/;AI Tassels or balls are seen attached to the ends of
p/ A/lit 1 1 the toga, which may have served to keep it in its
place by their weight, or may have been merely
P=!81 //// t-E ornaments.
There is one point which still remains to be explained. In the figure a mass of folds is seen ill
\\ l 1' Jar I lit Ip the middle of the part of the toga drawn across the
chest (relut balters). This is the 77zbo mentioned
by Tertullian (de Pallio, 5), and used by Persius
for the toga itself (Sat. v. 33). It was either a
portion of the balters itself, formed by allowing this
y part of the garment to hang loose (which perhaps
it must have done, as it is the curved, and therefore longer edge that is thus drawn across the chest),
and then gathering it up in folds and tucking these
folds in, as in the figure, or else the folds which
composed it were drawn out from the sinus, and
either by themselves, or with the loose folds of the
garmnent was thrown over the left shoulder, and halteus, formed the umbo. It seems to have been
hung down -in front, but much lower than in the secured by passing the end of it under the girdle
former case. This seems to be the part which of the tunic; and perhaps this is what Quintilialn
Quintilian (~ 139) says should reach down half- means by the words (~ 140), " Subducenda etiam
way between the knee and the ankle. In our pars aliqua tunicae, ne ad lacertum in actu redeat."
figure it reaches to the feet, and in sonme statues it The back of the figure, which is not seen in our
is even seen lying on the ground. The garment engravings, was simply covered with the part of
was then placed over the back, as in the older the garment which was drawn across it, and which,
mode of wearing it, but, instead of covering the in the ancient mode of wearing it, reached down to
right shoulder, it was brought round undcr the the heels. (Quintil. ~ 143). Quintilian states how
right arm to the front of the body. This is the low it was worn in his time, but the meaning of
most difficult part of the dress to explain. Quin- his words is very obscure (~ 139: "pars ejus
tilian says (~ 140): —" Sinus decentissimus, si prior mediis cruribus optimne terminatur, posterior
aliquanto supra imam togam fuerit, nunquam certe eadem portione altius qua cinctura." See above).
sit inferior. Ille, qui sub humero dextro ad sinis- A garment of the supposed shape of the toga,
trum oblique ducitur velut balteus, nec strangulet put on according to the above description, has
nec fluat." Becker's explanation of this matter been found by the writer of this article to present
seems perfectly satisfactory. He supposes that the an appearance exactly like that of the toga as seen
toga, when carried under the right arm, was then on statues, and Becker states that he has made simifolded into two parts; one edge (namely, the lar experiments with equally satisfactory results.
lower or round edge) was then brought almost close Tertullian (de Pallio, 5) contrasts the simplicity
under the arm, and drawn, but not tightly, across of the Pallium with the complication of the toga,
the chest to the left shoulder, forming the velut and his remarks apply very well to the above decdltezs of Quintilian, while the other part was al- scription. It appears by his account that the folds
lowed to fall gracefully over tile lower part of the of the unmbo were arranged before the dress was
body, forming the sinus, and then the remaining end put on, and fixed in their places by pins or hooks;
of the garment was thrown over the left shoulder, but generally speaking it does not seem that the
and hung down nearly as low as the other end, toga was held on by any fastening: indeed the
which was first put on. It is to this part that contrary may be inferred from Quintilian's direcQuintilian seems to refer when he says (~ 140): — tions to an orator for the management of his toga
" Pars togae, quae postea imponitur, sit inferior: while speaking (~~ 144-149).
nam ita et sedet melius, et continetur;" but the Another mode of wearing the toga was the
true application of these words is very doubtful. cinctus Gabinus. It consisted in forming a part of
By the bottom of the toga (ia7zman togamn) in the the toga itself into a girdle, by drawing its outer
above quotation, he seems to mean the end of the edge i'ound the body and tying it in a knot in
toga first put on. The part last thrown over thle front, and at the same time covering the head with
left shoulder, as well as the end first put on, co- another portion of the garment. It was worn by
vered the arm, as in the older mode of wearing the persons offering sacrifices (Liv. v. 46; Lucan. i.
garment. The outer edge (extremna ora) of this 596), by the consul when he declared war (Virg.
part ought not, says Quintilian (~ 140), to be Aen. vii. 612), and by devoted persons, as in the
thrown back. IIe adds (~ 141), "Super quod (i. e. case of Decius. (Liv. v. 46.) Its origin was
sinistruni brachium) ora ex toga duplex aequaliter Etruscan, as its name implies (Servius in Virg. 1. c.;
sedeat," by which he probably means that the edge Miuller, Etruskcr, vol. i. p. 265; Thiersch in Annal.
of this portion should coincide with the edge of the Acad. Bavar. vol. i. p. 29, quoted by MUller, Annot.
end which was first thrown over the left shoulder, ad Festuns, p. 225). Festus (. c.) speaks of an army
and which is of course covered by this portion of about to fight being girt with the cinctus Gabinus.
the garment. He says (~ 141) that the shoulder Persons wearing this dress were said to be procincti
and the whole of the throat ought not to be co- (or incincti) cinctu (or rite) Gabino.
vered, otherwise the dress will become narrow and The colour of the toga Sworn by men (toga