Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Flammeum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

FLAM'MEUM. The marriage veil, worn by a Roman bride on her wedding day. It was of a deep and brilliant yellow colour (Plin. H. N. xxi 22.), like a flame, from which circumstance the name arose; and of large dimensions, sufficient to cover the whole person from head to foot. During the ceremony it was worn over the head, to shield the downcast looks of virgin modesty (Lucan. ii. 361.), as exhibited in the above figure (Flammeum/1.1), from a Roman marble, representing a bride (nupta) at her wedding; and was so kept until she arrived at her new home, when she was unveiled by her husband; as exemplified by the annexed figure (Flammeum/1.2), also from a Roman marble, which represents a young bride sitting on a couch, with the flammeum still on her shoulders, though unveiled, and exhibiting a very natural gesture of feminine modesty, or regret for the loss of her old friends and companions.

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  Flammeum/1.1
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  Flammeum/1.2