Peplos / Πέπλος

Athena wearing a plain peplos, c. 460 BC

Ο πέπλος ήταν ένα μάλλινο ένδυμα που φορούσαν οι γυναίκες και αποτελούσαν από ένα ορθογώνιο ύφασμα που δεν χρειαζόταν να ραφτεί. Συνήθως αυτό το ύφασμα το δίπλωναν στο ένα τρίτο του ύψους του μία φορά προς τα έξω με αποτέλεσμα να σχηματιστεί ένας υφασμάτινος όγκος που ονομάζεται απότυγμα και πέφτει προς τα έξω στην πλάτη και το στήθος. Το ύφασμα έχει και μία κλειστή πλευρά όπου βρίσκεται στην αριστερή πλευρά του σώματος. Την επάνω παρυφή του υφάσματος την καρφιτσώνανε με πόρπες και περόνες, έτσι ώστε να δημιουργηθεί ένα άνοιγμα στο λαιμό και στο δεξιό βραχίονα. Ακόμα είχε δύο παρυφές κάτω και τέσσερις επάνω στο ύψος του αποπτύγματος με αποτέλεσμα να μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί και ως κάλυμμα για το κεφάλι. Τέλος ο πέπλος μπορούσε να φορεθεί πάνω από τον χιτώνα.

A peplos (Greek: ὁ πέπλος) is a body-length garment established as typical attire for women in ancient Greece by 500 BC (the Classical period). It was a long, tubular cloth with the top edge folded down about halfway, so that what was the top of the tube was now draped below the waist, and the bottom of the tube was at the ankle. The garment was then gathered about the waist and the folded top edge pinned over the shoulders. The folded-down top of the tube provided the appearance of a second piece of clothing. (The Caryatid statues show a typical drapery.)

So-called Exaltation de la Fleur (exaltation of the flower), fragment from a grave stele two women wearing a peplos and kekryphalos (hairnet), hold poppy or pomegranate flowers, and maybe a small bag of seeds. Parian marble, c. 470–460 BC. From Pharsalos, Thessaly.

The peplos was draped and open on one side of the body, like the Doric chiton. It should not be confused with the Ionic chiton, which was a piece of fabric folded over and sewn together along the longer side to form a tube. The Classical garment is represented in Greek vase painting from the 5th century BC and in the metopes of temples in Doric order.

Nike wearing a peplos on top of a chiton, second quarter of 5th century BC

Spartan women continued to wear the peplos much later in history than other Greek cultures, causing other Greeks to call them phainomērídes (φαινομηρίδες) the "thigh-showers."

Rituals

On the last day of the Pyanepsion, the priestess of Athena Polias and the Arrephoroi, a group of girls chosen to help in the making of the sacred peplos, set up the loom on which the enormous peplos was to be woven by the Ergastinai, another group of girls chosen to spend about nine months making the sacred peplos. They had to weave a theme of Athena's defeat of Enkelados and the Olympian's defeat of the Giants. The peplos of the statue was changed each year during the Plynteria.

The peplos played a role in the Athenian festival of the Great Panathenaea. Nine months before the festival, at the arts and crafts festival titled Chalkeia, a special peplos would begin to be woven by young women. This peplos was placed on the statue of Athena during the festival procession. The peplos had myths and stories woven into its material and usually consisted of purple and saffron yellow cloth.