Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Tonsus

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. 

TONSUS (κοὑριμος). Cropped or clipped, with reference to the hair of the head or beard (Mart. vi. 64. xi. 39.); and indicating that the natural growth was merely shortened by cutting with the forfex, as contradistinguished from rasus, which means shaved close with a novacula. The Greeks wore their hair cut close in grief and mourning, both women, as represented by the annexed figure (Tonsus/1.1) of Electra from a fictile vase, and men, as exemplified by the figure of Agamemnon s. CATAGRAPHA; but the Romans let their hair and beard grow under similar circumstances, until the danger or distress had passed, when they had the superfluous length cut off; whence the expression tonsus reus (Mart. ii. 74.), applied to a criminal, is equivalent to acquitted. In other respects, the free Roman of the republican and Imperial period, wore his hair of a moderate length, not close cut, with the exception of the rural population (Mart. x. 98.), who are obliged to study convenience more than appearance: hence the term tonsus often means rustic, or countryfied, especially when applied to the slaves who waited at table (Mart. xi. 12.), because it was usual for people of fashion to have their waiters extremely well dressed, and set off with long flowing hair (wood-cuts s. ACERSECOMES and PINCERNA), though some conceited or effeminate youths, and women of easy virtue, also affected to wear a crop. Suet. Aug. 45. Nero, 44. Cic. Pis. 8.

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  Tonsus/1.1