Chapters
Ovid, a Roman poet of the Augustan era, in his work Medicamina Faciei Feminae—a short treatise on the care of the female body—presents the ideal of female beauty: pale complexion, rosy cheeks, dark eyes, and skin free from unnatural odors.
Indeed, the Romans weren’t the first to attach importance to female beauty. The Egyptians and Greeks had already developed their own canons of beauty, which over time strongly influenced the Roman imagination. Ovid’s work Medicamina Faciei Feminae concisely and evocatively shows how the perception of female beauty changed in Roman society—from the founding of the Eternal City to the author’s contemporary era (1st century BCE – 1st century CE). Roman women, unlike Egyptian and Greek women, used makeup primarily to subtly highlight natural features, rather than create a multi-colored composition on the face.
Ovid emphasizes that a woman should care not only about her external beauty, but also about her character traits. Developing and nurturing these traits is meant to ensure the stability of a marriage and strengthen her husband’s love and affection.
In Ovid’s time, the feminine ideal of beauty was closely linked to a fair, pale complexion. The lack of a tan was a sign that a Roman woman spent most of her time at home, as well as proof of belonging to a class wealthy enough to be able to use slave labor. Women often lightened their skin with chalk, while highlighting their lips and cheeks with red clay. Ovid also provides a recipe for a complexion-whitening potion:
Take two pounds of peeled barley and an equal quantity of vetches moistened with ten eggs. Dry the mixture in the air, and let the whole be ground beneath the mill-stone worked by the patient ass. Pound the first horns that drop from the head of a lusty stag. Of this take one-sixth of a pound. Crush and pound the whole to a fine powder, and pass through a deep sieve. Add twelve narcissus bulbs which have been skinned, and pound the whole together vigorously in a marble mortar. There should also be added two ounces of gum and Tuscan spelt, and nine times as much honey. Any woman who smears her face with this cosmetic will make it brighter than her mirror.
– Ovid, Medicamina Faciei Feminae
Both upper-class and lower-class women used cosmetics. Wealthier Roman women, however, could afford a much wider selection of products and ingredients. The best blends were virtually fragrance-free, while cheaper ones often had an unpleasant odor that had to be masked with perfume. For this reason, Roman brothels were distinguished by a distinctive mix of makeup (commonly used by prostitutes) and intense perfume scents. Furthermore, as women aged, they increasingly tried to conceal their wrinkles. So they resorted to thicker layers of makeup, and the client, seeing this effect, guessed they were dealing with an elderly prostitute.
It’s worth emphasizing that men wrote all surviving ancient sources on the subject of female beauty. Ovid preferred bold makeup, while other authors valued subtle makeup—or even a complete lack thereof. However, there is no doubt that Roman women placed great importance on their appearance, just as modern women do. Of course, the canons of beauty of that time were significantly different from those of today.
Body build
What figures were considered beautiful among Roman women? We can judge this based on preserved sculptures, paintings, and mosaics. The ideal woman was considered rather short and slender, yet powerfully built: with narrow shoulders, pronounced hips, wide thighs, and a small bust. Facial features were equally important. The desired beauty included large eyes, a distinct (sharp) nose, medium-sized lips and ears, and oval cheeks and chin.
