HOW THE ROMANS SHAVED

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12181, 4 July 1925, Page 11

HOW THE ROMANS SHAVED

THE USE OF THE RAZOR IN ANCIENT TIMES.

Most men shave once a day • at least a tenth of the world’s population toys with a razor every morning; yet the literature of shaving is non-existent. Recently, however, the readers of the ‘‘Times” unbent so tar as to discuss the question of how the Romans shaved, and we are indebted to the “Hairdressers’ Weekly Journal” for the following comments, interesting, amusing, and instructive, on that correspondence One of the writers raised the question whether it was not probable that the Romans shaved with pumice-stone. Samuel Pepys undoubtedly practised thud method, we are told, and found it “very easy, speedy and cleanly.” This brought forth a reply to the effect that Romans certainly used pumicestone, but this correspondent suggests that the substance was used for what he describes as a “super-shave.” He cites the younger Pliny in confirmation, as he describes a dandy of his day as being both shaved and pumice-stoned—-rasus atque etiam pumicatus. Although shaving did not become a part of the regular toilet for some centuries, it appears to have been the fashion in Rome, from some time after 3000 B.C. to the reign of Hadrian. The first person of note to practise shaving every day was the younger Scipio Afnranus. Under the Empiro beards came in again. No doubt even in those days the hairdresser’s customers varied just as much as they do in the twentieth century. Martial, in one of his epigrams, draws a picture of one of. the “gilded vouth,” who had time enough on his hands to have his beard treated in all three possible ways—tonsa, clipped with scissors; rasa, shaved; vulsa, the hairs pulled out. But while the methods were freely discussed,, very little information was forthcoming as to the material of which the razors were made. One writer, however, is emphatic. He says the Romans "used steel razors as we do. This correspondent also brings to our notice an interesting sidelight on the training of the Roman barber's apprentice. Apparently he received his early; instruction by means of an implement which precluded him from making si sanguinary mess of the customer's face.

In conclusion, Cicero’s 6tory of Dionysius, the hated tyrant of Syra-