What Ancient Greeks Looked Like

 From The Greek Reporter:

Ancient Greek writers have left behind clues about how they perceived the physical appearance of Greeks as a people. Several surviving texts use terms describing complexion, hair, body build, and facial features, offering a glimpse into how some ancient authors portrayed the Greeks themselves. Perhaps the most detailed surviving example comes from the Physiognomonica of Adamantius, a work from Late Antiquity that draws heavily on the earlier physiognomist Polemon.

Adamantius refers explicitly to those among whom the “Hellenic and Ionian stock” (Ἑλληνικὸν καὶ Ἰωνικὸν γένος) had remained “pure.” He describes them as relatively large and broad, upright and strongly built, with straight legs and well-proportioned extremities. More strikingly, he calls them “lighter or whiter in complexion” (λευκότεροι τὴν χρόαν) and xanthos (more on that later). He subsequently describes their hair as subtly blond (ὑπόξανθον), soft, and gently curling. Adamantius continues by describing a square face, thin lips, a straight nose, and bright, highly expressive eyes, concluding that the Hellenic people had the finest eyes of all peoples.

The passage should not be mistaken for anything resembling a modern anthropological study. Ancient physiognomy sought to draw conclusions about a person’s character from outward physical characteristics, a practice formalized in Greek and Roman antiquity but long since rejected as highly unscientific. (Read more.)

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