Museum Explorer
Dress and ornament in Ancient Greece
A caryatid
From: Athens, Greece,
Date: around 420 BC
This strong young woman and her five sisters once held up part of the roof of the Erechtheion temple. Female statues used like this are called caryatids.
She is wearing a simple loose tunic, probably made of wool, called a peplos. It was pinned on each shoulder and draped over a belt around the waist. Actual clothing from ancient times rarely survives, so sculpture is an important way to find out what people wore.
