The Chautauquan, Vol. 05, October 1884, No. 1Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Science
The Chautauquan, Vol. 05, October 1884, No. 1
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
At noon all business stopped, and the public places were deserted, when
he returned to his breakfast. The modern Greeks, in country parts, still
spend half the day in this way before they breakfast. The poorer classes
who dined early in the afternoon, and who probably had eaten something
more at early breakfast, spent their midday hours, without going home,
in barber’s shops, in porticoes, and other places of meeting, where
they either slept or gossiped, as their fancy led them. Law-suits, at
which speeches were made and evidence taken, must have been carried on
during this part of the day also. The breakfast of the better classes
was a substantial meal, probably serving as dinner for the children, and
consisted, like the modern Greek breakfast, of hot dishes and wine. It
was, however, thought luxurious to eat two heavy meals in the day, and
much wine drinking before dinner was regarded with the same aversion as
tippling is now-a-days. When the day became cooler, men went out again,
partly to practice gymnastics, which ended in later times with a warm
bath, partly to see others so occupied and talk to their friends. Toward
sunset they returned home to their dinner, the principal meal of the
day, and the only one at which the Greek entertained his friends. If not
a very studious man, or a leading politician, he devoted the evening
to conversation and music, either in his family circle, or among his
friends. In the former case, he went to bed early; in the latter he was
often up all night, and sometimes went from his first feast in company
with his noisy friends to knock up other banqueters and enjoy their
hospitality unasked. There were no clubs or public houses open at night
in the old Greek towns. It should be added that the hours of meals got
gradually later, as luxury advanced.
The dress of a Greek gentleman was simple both in form and color. He
wore a shirt or under garment of wool called chiton, without sleeves,
and drawn tight with a girdle round the waist. As luxury increased, the
Athenians adopted linen instead of wool, the Ionians wore the chiton
down to the feet, and sleeves were frequently added. Trousers were also
considered a foreign dress. Over the chiton was thrown a large cloak
shaped something like a Scotch shawl, but squarer, which was wrapped
about the figure so as to have only the right shoulder and head free.
This was regarded as the principal garment, for while it was not thought
polite to throw it open, and a man without it, though in his chiton, was
called stripped, on the other hand a man wrapped in his cloak without any
under garment was thought perfectly dressed. Most of the portrait statues
of celebrated men which have reached us are indeed represented in this
very way. White was the full dress color for both garments, but other
colors, especially various shades of red, dark blue, and green, were not
unfrequently worn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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