Keyword: "Cothurnus" | ClipArt ETC

"A boot. Its essential distinction was its height; it rose above the middle of the leg, so as to surround the calf, and sometimes it reached as high as the knees. It was worn principally by horsemen, by hunters, and by men of rank and authority. The sole of the cothurnus was commonly of the ordinary thickness; but it was sometimes made much thicker than usual, probably by the insertion of slices of cork. The object was, to add to the apparent stature of the wearer; and this was done in the case of the actors in Athenian tragedy, who had the soles made unusually thick as one of the methods adopted in order to magnify their whole appearance. Hence tragedy in general was called cothurnus. As the cothurnus was commonly worn in hunting, it is represented as part of the costume of Diana. The preceding cut shows two cothurni, both taken from statues of Diana." — Smith, 1873

Cothurnus

"A boot. Its essential distinction was its height; it rose above the middle of the leg, so as to surround…

"The <em>cothurnus</em> or buskin, rose above the midddle of the leg so as to surround the calf (<em>sura</em>), and sometimes reached as high as the knees. It was laced in front, and the object in so doing was to make it fit the leg as closely as possible. The skin or leather of which it was made was dyed purple, or of other splendid colours. The cothurnus was worn principally by horsemen, hunters, and men of rank and authority. The accompanying woodcut shows two cothurni, from the statues in the Museo Pio-Clementino. That on the left hand is from a statue of Diana Succincta, that on the right from one of the goddess Roma." — Anthon, 1891

Cothurnus

"The cothurnus or buskin, rose above the midddle of the leg so as to surround the calf (sura),…