For ornaments the male Phoenicians wore collars, which were sometimes
very elaborate, armlets, bracelets, and probably finger-rings. The
collars resembled those of the Egyptians, being arranged in three rows,
and falling far over the breast.[0129] The armlets seem to have been
plain, consisting of a mere twist of metal, once, twice, or thrice
around the limb.[1210] The royal armlets of Etyander, king of Paphos,
are single twists of gold, the ends of which only just overlap: they
are plain, except for the inscription, which reads _Eteadoro to Papo
basileos_, or “The property of Etyander, king of Paphos.”[1211] Men’s
bracelets were similar in character. The finger-rings were either of
gold or silver, and generally set with a stone, which bore a device, and
which the wearer used as a seal.[1212]
The most elaborate male costume which has come down to us is that of
a figure found at Golgi, and believed to represent a high priest of
Ashtoreth. The conical head-dress is divided into partitions by narrow
stripes, which, beginning at its lower edge, converge to a point at top.
This point is crowned by the representation of a calf’s or bull’s head.
The main garment is a long robe reaching from the neck to the feet,
“worn in much the same manner as the peplos on early Greek female
figures.” Round the neck of the robe are two rows of stars painted in
red, probably meant to represent embroidery. A little below the knee
is another band of embroidery, from which the robe falls in folds or
pleats, which gather closely around the legs. Above the long robe is
worn a mantle, which covers the right arm and shoulder, and thence hangs
down below the right knee, passing also in many folds from the shoulder
across the breast, and thence, after a twist around the left arm,
falling down below the left knee. The treatment of the hair is
remarkable. Below the rim of the cap is the usual row of crisp curls;
but besides these, there depend from behind the ears on either side of
the neck three long tresses. The feet of the figure are naked. The right
hand holds a cup by its foot between the middle and fore-fingers, while
the left holds a dove with wings outspread.[1213]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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