The Origin of the Pilleus Open Access

Marier, Hannah (Spring 2022)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/z603qz715?locale=en
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Abstract

Why did the Romans choose to make the wearing of the pilleus a step in the manumission ritual (manumissio)? This paper attempted to answer this question by diving into the origin of the pilleus in the Greek pilos. The pilos was worn predominantly by unbearded youths on Greek vase-painting, often symbolizing the ‘proving time’ in which these youths transitioned from boys to adult citizens. This symbolic meaning of proving time was what the Romans adopted for the pilleus, which thus also symbolized the proving time of the newly freed enslaved person. 

Table of Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................8

The Pilleus....................................................................................................9

The Pilos.......................................................................................................19

Typology.......................................................................................................23

Genre Scenes Featuring the Pilos.................................................................26

Athenian Youth on Lekythoi.........................................................................30

Mythological Paradigms...............................................................................41

Departure and Heroic Deeds: “On their way to greatness” ..............................42

Mythological Warfare...................................................................................55

Pursuit of Women.........................................................................................57

Mythological Hunters....................................................................................60

Conclusion: The Dioscuri as a Bridge between Roman and Greek................62

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The Origin of the Pilleus () 2022-04-11 21:37:00 -0400

Supplemental Files

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Pilos Database (Collection of all 267 mentions of the pilos by the Beazley Archive Pottery Database with relative analysis and typology) 2022-04-11 21:37:07 -0400