flammeum

• flammeus, a red bridal veil: flammeum capere, Ct.: sumere, Iu.: flammea conterit, i. e. keeps changing husbands, Iu.

FLA´MMEUM(sc. velum), a flame-coloured veil, worn by a Roman bride, the colour of which is described as luteus (Plin. Nat.21.46; lutea flammea, Lucan (Luc. 2.361). The diminutive flammeolum (Juven. 10.334), used of the bridal veil of Messalina, probably indicates only a veil of finer texture than usual. It was a long veil covering the head, and, with the exception of the face, descending over the back to the feet, whence it is described by the grammarians as a kind of dress ( flammea genus amicti, Schol. ad Juven. 6.225; vestimentum, Fest. p. 92, 16; flammeo amicitur nubens, Fest. p. 89, 3). It is so represented in works of art, and is frequently mentioned by the Roman writers in connexion with marriage ( flammeum cape, Cat. 60.8; flammea sumit, Juven. 2.124; flammea texuntur sponsae, Mart. 11.78, 3; puellae caput involverat flammeo, Petron. 26, 1). Though the flammeum did not entirely cover the face, yet from its falling over the forehead usually it is described as concealing the countenance ( velare vultus, Lucan, l. c.; Mart. 12.42, 3). When the bride was brought into the nuptial chamber, the veil was removed by the bridegroom (Claudian, de Laud. Stilich. 2.368).

Festus says (p. 89) that the bride wore the flammeum because it was always used by the Flaminica, the wife of the Flamen, who could not obtain a divorce. But this is not correct. It has been pointed out by Rossbach that the flammeum was part of the dress of the Flaminica, because it was in ancient times worn by all Roman matrons in performing sacrificial rites. It was originally identical with the ricinium and rica, except in colour, which is also described as a portion of the dress of the Flaminica, though subsequently the ricinium was made smaller and became only a head-dress. [RICINIUM]

The flammeum being a symbol of marriage, flammea conterit is said of a Roman matron who changes her husband repeatedly (Juven. 6.225). The flammeum continued to be worn by the bride in the imperial period down to the fourth and fifth centuries, and along with the palla was the characteristic dress of the bride (Claudian, in Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 284; Mart. Capell. 5. p. 538, Kopp). The use of the veil in the marriage ceremony was adopted in the Christian Church, and is described by Tertullian (de Veland. Virgin. 100.11) as a praiseworthy heathen custom. The colour of the Christian veil was purple and white, though the name flammeum was sometimes used (St. Ambros. de Virg. 100.15; de Inst. Virg. 100.17). [See Dict. Christ. Ant. 2. p. 1108.]

The flammearii in Plautus (Aul. 3.5, 36) are usually supposed to be the makers of the flammeum or the bridal veil; but as they are mentioned by Plautus along with the violarii, they are more probably the dyers of the colour, and are so explained by Festus (p. 89, 11), flammearii, infectores flammei coloris. This colour, as we have seen, is called luteus from lutum, weld (reseda luteola, Linn.). (Marquardt, Privatl. pp. 43, 489; Becker-Göll, Gallus, 2. p. 29; Blümner, Techn. 1. p. 243; Rossbach, Rön. Hochzeit, &c. Leipz. 1871.)

dim. flammeŏlum. The marriage veil, worn by a Roman bride on her wedding-day. It was of a brilliant yellow colour (Plin. H. N. xxi. 22), like a flame, from which circumstance the name arose; and of large dimensions, sufficient to cover the whole person from head to foot. During the ceremony it was worn over the head, to shield the downcast looks of virgin modesty (Lucan. ii. 361), as exhibited in the annexed figure, from a Roman marble, representing a bride (nupta) at her wedding; and was so retained until she arrived at her new home, when she was unveiled by her husband; as is exemplified by the fellowing figure, also from a Roman marble, in which the bride is seen sitting unveiled upon a couch, but with the flammeum still on her shoulders, and exhibiting a very natural gesture of feminine modesty, or regret for the loss of her old friends and companions. See matrimonium.