What Did the Ancient Spartans Wear?
The ancient Spartans often wore simple, understated clothing like tunics, boots and cloaks. Since the Spartans were warriors, they usually wore clothes that were a dark crimson color as this color would hide blood from wounds received in battle.
During the colder months, Spartan tunics were made from very thick wool and were traded for linen tunics when the weather was warm. Spartans normally wore cloaks off the battlefield, especially in the winter when the extra warmth a cloak provided was welcome. Short and long cloaks were commonly worn; the shorter cloak was worn over a tunic while the longer one could be worn with nothing underneath. They didn’t wear cloaks on the battlefield because a cloak restricted movement.
Men didn’t wear shoes when they worked on the farm, and boots were usually reserved for battle and the winter months. Boys were never allowed to wear shoes because of the belief that shoes made the feet soft. Boots and shoes were always made of leather.
Soldiers were outfitted with shields that were made from pieces of wood. Shields were equipped with a bronze arm hole that allowed soldiers to carry them easily. Sparta soldiers also wore helmets that protected the head but that drastically hindered vision and hearing capabilities.