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Himation
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women's dress from the Hellenistic Age Man (left) wearing the himation draped over one shoulder; the two women are dressed in the peplos. Marble figures from a fragment of the east frieze of the Parthenon, Athens, Greece, c. 440 bc. In the Louvre, Paris. woman wearing the Greek chiton and himation
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Himation

clothing
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‱History

Himation, mantle or wrap worn by Greek men and women from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods (c. 750–30 bce). A very large rectangle of fabric, the himation was draped in different ways—e.g., as a shawl, a cloak, or a head covering—during various periods.

Usually made of white wool, the version worn by women could be of coloured silk or cotton. A somewhat shorter Greek wrap was known as a chlamys. See also mantle.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.