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Thestola (Classical Latin:[ˈst̪ɔ.ɫ̪a]) (pl.stolae) was thetraditionalgarment ofRomanwomen, corresponding to thetoga that was worn bymen.[1] It was also calledvestis longa in Latin literary sources,[2] pointing to its length.[3]
Thestola was a staple of fashion in ancient Rome spanning from the earlyRoman Republic until the beginning of the 2nd century CE. The garment was first identified on statues by Margarete Bieber.[4] The first evidence of thestola/vestis longa dates to the 3rd century BCE, but the form of the garment is common in the Mediterranean world and so it must be much older.[5][6] In Republican times, it was simply part of Roman female dress practice. In Augustan times, when it was used much less, thestola was taken up by Imperial cultural policy and was turned – like thevitta (plaitedheadband) – into a dress insigne of married Roman women. It may even have been a legal privilege.[7] By this time, it was worn only by women of the social elite. At the beginning of the 2nd century CE, thestola fell completely out of use. However, the termmatrona stolata, referring to married women of equestrian rank, remained a technical term in inscriptions.[8]
A well-known image of the stola is the one worn by theStatue of Liberty inNew York City.[citation needed]
It has long been believed that Roman women originally did not wearstolae and that they instead woretogas like the men. However, this goes back to a scholarly lore invented in Late Antiquity.[9][10] For the most part, thetoga was worn exclusively by men, and Roman wives (matronae) traditionally wore thestola. In Latin literature, wearing the maletoga was associated withprostitution andadultery.[11][12] In Roman life, the only Roman women who wore atoga were unfree prostitutes (referred to asmeretrices orancillae) who worked in the streets and in brothels. A Roman matron convicted of adultery (moecha damnata) did not actually have to wear atoga in public from then on. She was only symbolically called atogata (a woman intoga) since she was unfit to be a matron (as epitomized by thestola).[13] Female and male citizen children could wear atogapraetexta (a toga with purple border), but this usage should be kept apart from wearing the toga as an adult.[citation needed]
Thestola was a long, pleated, sleeveless robe that could be worn by Roman wives (matronae). It was worn as a symbol and represented a woman'smarital status, and it was also worn by the Roman Vestal priestesses.[14][15] There are no physical remains of anystola. The matron’sstola usually served as an intermediate garment and was worn over the undertunic (subucula) and under the cloak (pallium). It looked like a ‘peplos’ and had longitudinal folds (rugae). There are no explicit literary sources as to its upper opening, but there is archaeological evidence. This shows that, in Augustan times, the sleeveless garment was fastened by significant shoulder straps (analeptrides).[16] It also had a visible lower border, calledinstita (or in non-technical language alimbus). The fabrics used forstolae were presumably linen or wool, but a wealthy woman might have also used silk.[citation needed]
The matronalstola had no fixed colour.[17] Thestola of the Vestal virgins was presumably white. The border (instita) was probably usually in purple colour (similar to the purple border on an expensivetoga).[18][19]
…through conviction under the law was cast as a prostitute, most visibly through imposition of the label of the toga, the prostitute's badge of shame.
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