Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

Private Life 137
Bronze dress pins 18 inches in length have been found in excavations.
They would have been more than adequate to the task of
stabbing. The peplos remained popular in other parts of Greece,
however—especially in the winter time, for which it was ideally
suited.
Accessories
Earrings, hairpins, necklaces (fastened tight around the neck),
pendants, bracelets, diadems, and rings were frequently worn by
well-to-do women. They were made from a variety of materials,
but the commonest were gilt terra-cotta, copper, and lead. More
expensive items were made of silver and gold, though it is noteworthy
that few pieces of gold jewelry have survived from the
Archaic Period. In the Classical Period, however, goldsmiths produced
highly intricate work, utilizing techniques such as filigree,
granulation, and chasing. Infants were commonly given amulets to
ward off evil.
The only item of jewelry commonly worn by men was the signet
ring, which was used to put a seal on private documents and merchandise
as a mark of ownership. Seal stones were made of both
precious and semiprecious stones. The art of cutting stone goes
back to the Minoan Period. In most cases, the artist cut the image
into the stone, a technique known as intaglio; less commonly the
image was in relief. Expensive seal stones were frequently buried
with their owners because they were among the most personal
items they possessed.
A simple cloth band called a strophion served as a brassiere for
women. Other accessories used by women include the fan or rhipis,
a flat object with a wooden handle. Another was an umbrella, or
skiadon, used as a shield against the sun rather than as a protection
against rain. Both men and women pulled up the fold of their himation
to serve as a kind of hood. On their travels, men wore a flat,
broad-brimmed hat made of felt or straw called a petasos, which
they tied under the chin. When not in use, this often hung loose at
the back of the neck. Workmen and slaves wore a conical cap c.alled
a pilidion. Women were less inclined to cover their heads than men,
though in the Hellenistic Period they are often depicted wearing a
sunhat with a broad brim and a pointed crown.
The simplest form of footwear was the sandal. Fashionable women
sometimes wore platform heels. In the home, both men and women
usually went barefoot. All shoes and sandals were made of leather.