Ancient Greek Female Costume (litho)

Statue of Athene; wears as under-garment the chiton, next the peplos, with the wars of the giants embroidered thereon; the upper part of the garment is turned over at the neck, so as to hang over the under portion, and so form a diploidion, or this diploidion may be made of a separate piece of cloth. Over all she wears the aegis, or skin of the goat Amalthea, which was fastened over the shoulders and breast, and hung over the left arm as a shield-cover. Afterwards it was used solely as a breastplate. The breast part of the aegis has the Gorgon's head. Illustration for Ancient Greek Female Costume selected by J Moyr Smith (2nd edn, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1883).