Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Abolla

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

ABOLLA. A cloak or mantle made of cloth doubled (Serv. ad Virg. Aen. v. 421). and fastened by a brooch under the neck or upon the top of the shoulder. It was originally worn by the military, as in the example (Abolla/1.1) from Trajan's column, and therefore was put on by the inhabitants of the city, instead of the toga, the costume of civilians, during periods of turbulence or foreign invasion (Varro, ap. Non., s. v. p. 538. Mercer); but subsequently it came to be used more commonly, and by all classes, as an article of the ordinary attire. (Juv. iv. 76. Suet. Cal. 35.) It does not differ very materially from the sagum; but was made of finer material, and somewhat smaller dimensions, whence Martial recommends persons addicted to thieving not to wear an abolla, because it was not large enough to conceal the stolen articles beneath it. Mart. Ep. viii. 48.

2. Abolla major. The large wrapping blanket of the Greek philosophers, more especially of the Cynics, who, as they wore no under clothing, enveloped themselves for the sake of decency in a wrapper of very ample dimensions (Mart. Ep. iv. 53.). Hence the expression facinus majoris abollae (Juv. Sat. iii. 115.) means a crime committed by a Greek philosopher, the garment being put for the person who wears it, as we apply our phrase "the long robe" to members of the legal profession. The illustration (Abolla/2.1) represents Heraclitus from an engraved gem.

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  Abolla/1.1
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  Abolla/2.1