14 June 2014

Greek pins

These pins, in the Greek section of the British Museum, are a good 20 cm long. The label tells a story:

Two bronze pins for fastening the peplos on the shoulder. Greek, 8th century BC, said to be from Lake Copias, Boetia
Herodotus relates how the sole survivor of an Athenian expedition against Aegina brought news of the death of his comrades to the women of Athens, who overcome with grief stabbed him to death with pins. As punishment the women were made to change their dress from the Doric peplos to the Corinthian chiton, which could be fastened without pins.

1 comment:

irene macwilliam said...

The change of dress after the Athenian expedition smacks of "Health and Safety"!!!!!