Chlamys

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Greek clothes:
1) Man wearing a chiton and a pilos hat. 2) Man wearing an exomis. 3) Man wearing a himation. 4) Man wearing a himation over a chiton. 5) Man wearing a chlamys and a helmet.

Frieze of a man wearing a chlamys. Ai-Khanoum.

A chlamys (χλαμΰς) was an ancient Greek piece of clothing, namely a cloak. The chlamys was typically worn by Greek soldiers in the 5th to 3rd centuries BC. The chlamys was made from a rectangle of woollen material about the size of a blanket, typically bordered. It was usually pinned at the right shoulder. It could be worn over another item of clothing, but was often worn as the sole item of clothing by young soldiers and messengers.

Statue of Ptolemy III in the guise of Hermes wearing the chlamys cloak. Ptolemaic Egypt.

The chlamys was typically worn by the army and could be used as a light shield in combat.

[edit] External links

• Greek costume (French, Pdf)