User:JoshTheRoman/Romans (Bellum Romanum)

The Romans (Latin: Romani) are an based around the central, spanning two continents:  and. The majority of Romans inhabit the nation state of the Roman Republic. Modern Romans are in fact the collective descendants of the Carthaginians,, , and the. However, Roman culture has generally merged and centralized into the ancient Roman ethnic group. Today, the vast majority of Romans are Tavist. Most Romans also speak Latin.

Baths and Gymnasiums
A Roman bath, called a thermae, are large bathing complexes within a Roman community. More often then not, a thermae is generally the center of a Roman community. They are common places to go after work, relax, socialize, bathe, and groom. In fact, a Roman city is not even considered complete until at least one thermae is built in the vicinity.

The principal entrance of a thermae, called an atrium, both in ancient and modern times was a place to post advertisements, especially in large cities. From there, it leads to the apodyterium, or changing room. Since clothing is banned in thermae, all clothing must be removed here prior to entering the baths proper or the gymnasium. The apodyterium leads to both the baths proper and the gymnasium.

Almost all young men, women, and children go to the gymnasium before entering the baths. Gymnasium are unisex and are not separated by gender. This is where youths exercise, play sports, or do similiar activities before entering the baths. This is also a popular meeting place or training grounds for athletes of all sorts. It also serves as a place where teenagers can meet outside of school, and perhaps, become future spouses.

Upon leaving the apodyterium, the bather would first enter the frigidarium, or a cold plunge-bath. These cold baths also double as a swimming pool.

From the frigidarium the bather who then wished to go through the warm bath and sweating process entered the tepidarium, or warm room. In most thermae, this is simply a room merely heated with warm air in order to prepare the bather for the great heat of the vapour and hot baths. However, in some thermae, this room also contains a pool of water. Historically, bathers would have been anointed with olive oil here, but in the modern age, this is where bathers apply soap or other washes.

From the warm room, a bather would then enter the caldarium or hot bath. This is where the bather would finally wash off any oil or soap they had on before entering. From here on, a bather would go to the laconicum or sauna to finish the bath. From the laconicum, a bather would head back to the tepidarium, and then to the frigidarium.

Upon entering, A roman would enter the hot baths first, to open pores, then to the warm baths, to continue bathing, and then to the cold baths, to close pores and finish bathing. These are the three principal rooms that every thermae must have. However, if a thermae is wealthy and detailed, it also contains steam baths, both moist and dry steam baths, the latter much like a sauna. The baths proper are separated by gender, however, some can be unisex, especially in Etruria, where the people are less prudish.

Clothing
Overwhelmingly, Roman clothing is loose-fitting, flowing, and rarely sewn together. Roman clothing is notable for staying steadfast in design throughout the ages, not changing or being altered very much. However, the Romans compensated blandness in hair. For women, hairstyle fashion can change in a matter of months, and men, facial hair. Toplessness is not a concern in Roman fashion, and is not viewed as sexual. Modern Roman clothing and culture is the combination of ancient Greek, Carthaginian, ancient Roman culture, mixed into one over the course of two thousand years. Roman clothing and the Romans themselves were renowned historically for being very sanitary, dumping their clothes into urine, which contains ammonia and taking daily or even bi-daily baths.

Undergarment
In summer, or during hot weather, men are free to not wear any bottom undergarments. In winter or while visiting cold climates, Roman men wear a subligar, a boxer brief, covering the nether regions.

Main Dress
Whether wearing a subligar or not, the most crucial and extremely common article of clothing for men is the tunic, a long, loose-fitting shirt. It can be worn in any length possible, even down to the ankles, with the most common length extending to the knees. Early in Rome's history, the length, style, and color of of stripes on the tunic indicated a person's place in society; however, this practice gradually disappeared over the years. Over the tunic, a belt can be worn on the waist, fastening the tunic. In the winter months, or in very cold climates, additional tunics may be worn over the original tunic, even up to four.

For formal wear, men wear a toga over the tunic; a long piece of cloth draped over the shoulders and around the body. It was usually woven from white wool, and was worn over a tunic. The toga was originally worn by both men and women, and as a practical work-garment. However, it slowly became voluminous, complex, and costly, eventually becoming strictly for stately processions, public debate, oratory, and other rather formal events. Originally, the most common style of toga was plain white, or had red fringes. This restriction on style eventually fell out of favor and faded out of use, allowing free design. Several major variants include:

For a casual, but dignified look, Roman men wear a himation over a tunic as a cloak instead of wearing a toga, which is reserved for formal events. The himation starts off as a rectangular piece of fabric which is thrown over one shoulder, wrapped under the opposite shoulder, brought around the front, and wrapped around the same shoulder.
 * a pure white, bright toga, used for candidates for political office,
 * a dark, or pure black toga, used for mourning or for times of crisis. Specifically, it is used by politicians as a form of protest, disapproval, or despair.
 * For a long time after the fall of the Roman Empire to the Republican Revolution, the use of a fully-purple toga was punishable by death, which was previously worn by the emperor, who had become a hated figure.

Footwear
There is little distinguishing between male and female footwear in Roman clothing. Roman footwear can be divided into two main groups: sandals and boots. Both are flat soled. Boots, usually worn for outdoor use, can have cleats for grip and durability. Roman footwear is notable for its sophisticated strapwork and delicate cutting to create intricate decorative patterns. Indoors, Romans go barefoot to not track in dirt and to stay sanitary.

Other
Staying true to the traditions of ancient times, men do not wear anything when swimming, as it was dangerous to swim with clothes on before the development of modern fabrics. When at the public baths men are also nude. When exercising at a gymnasium, younger men also go about nude, however, being nude outside any of these places is disgraceful.

Undergarment
Women almost always wear an upper undergarment called a mamillare wrapped around the breasts, a brasserie. Originally, mamillare were simply wrapped under the arms, but as time passed, they were also strapped over the soldiers, preventing them from slipping down. With the entrance into the modern age, the material in which it was made also changed. Mamillare created specifically for sports or otherwise similiar activities are made of flexible material. In addition to this, women also almost always wear a subligacula, an triangular bottom loincloth, covering the groin. Subligacula are worn regardless of what is worn over. As with the mamillare, the way in which it was made changed, along with the material it was made out of.

During winter or rather cold weather, Roman women wear what would usually be men clothing--a tunic, as an undergarment, extending down to the ankles.

Main Dress
The most common clothing among women is the ''chiton. The most commonly worn type of chiton, a Doric chiton'' starts out as a rectangular piece of cloth. If the woman wants to wear an over fold, the top part of wide rectangle is folded over. The woman holds the two long ends of the rectangle, wraps it around herself, and clips the ends together with a pin or button. The woman then puts her hand through an opening on the other side, brings it up to her shoulder, and then clips it. A belt is then placed below the breast or on the waist to control the fullness. This kind of chiton leaves one side of the body exposed, and is worn during warm weather. The Ionic chiton is a much more concealing version type of chiton. This type of chiton starts out with a much wider rectangular piece of cloth than the Doric chiton. When clipped on, instead of being sleeveless, it has sleeves extending from the shoulder to the wrist, being the main type of clothing during winter or cold weather. During the winter, ionic chitons are worn. If extremely cold, up to two or three tunics may be worn under the ionic chiton.

For formal wear only, Roman women wear a stola, a long, pleated dress, worn over an tunic to prevent chafing. The stola is generally sleeveless but versions of it have short or long sleeves. Like the doric chiton, the stola is fastened by pins on the shoulders. The stola typically has two belts. The first was worn just below the breasts creating a great number of folds. The second and wider belt is worn around the waist.

Outerwear
For a cloak in cold weather or for other uses, women can wear the previously-discussed himation over a chiton or stola as a shawl. Heavier, longer himations are especially used as protection against rain over the head or by new mothers to wrap around an infant.

Footwear
Female footwear is the same as male footwear in Roman culture, although female boots are generally pointier as the ends.

Jewelry
The only common form of jewelry is actually the pins that fasten women's clothing, often beautifully decorated. The only other common form of jewelry Roman women can also wear earrings, albeit only for formal events. Less commonly, or for formal events, women also can wear necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and rings.

Other
Women do not wear anything when swimming, as it was dangerous to swim with clothes on before the development of modern fabrics. When exercising at a gymnasium, younger women copy their male counterparts, and exercise in the nude.

Children
From the age that one can walk to the age of their marriage, both boys and girls wear a simple tunic for everyday wear, usually in a plain color and simply decorated, extending down to the ankles; over their respective bottom undergarment, a subligar for boys, and a subligacula for girls.

When swimming, exercising, playing sports, or otherwise doing similiar activities, both Roman boys and girls always go about in the nude, a formerly Spartan-exclusive custom that became mainstream across Roman culture.