Angusticlavia

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/angusticlavia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the garment classification?Tunic featuring two narrow vertical stripes (angusticlavia)
2. What is the primary wearers?Members of the Roman senatorial and equestrian orders
3. Why did the angusticlavia have purple stripes?Tyrian purple was very expensive and rare, so using it on the tunic signaled that the wearer was part of the elite. The narrow stripes were a coded symbol for senatorial and equestrian status.
4. How could someone know if a Roman wore an angusticlavia?The narrow purple stripes were visible under the toga, even if the toga was loose or partly disarranged. This made the wearer’s status obvious to everyone.

Angusticlavia: A Roman tunic characterized by two narrow vertical stripes of Tyrian purple.
Laticlavia: A Roman tunic featuring two broad vertical stripes of Tyrian purple, worn exclusively by senators.
Sumptuary Laws: Laws that regulated the expenditure on and the wearing of luxury goods, often to control social behavior and display.