The text discusses the perception of beauty and modesty in ancient cultures. It mentions how Spartan and Germanic customs included bare bodies in certain scenarios without causing indecency. The Romans, however, had stricter customs regarding modesty, with particular mention of communal bathing. Philosophers like Seneca believed true beauty was reflected in a complete embodiment rather than isolated attributes.
Beauty of Human Figures
A man would have concluded that bare breasts, in their natural form, do not incite indecency unless they somehow elevate the beauty of the facial features. Tacitus, writing on the customs of the ancient Germans, said that their women went around with their arms and part of their chest exposed. The Spartan maidens in Greece had to, by order of Lycurgus, join men in public arenas for physical exercises in the nude, to gradually temper youthful desires through customary modesty. Plutarch, in his Life of Lycurgus, recounts and elaborates this, saying that in this exposure, there was nothing indecent, but rather more restraint than shame. Plato, in his laws, also did not ridicule such practices. However, the Romans seem to have been somewhat more reserved; for those found bathing together were suspected. Indeed, under Justinian, it was grounds for divorce if a woman dared to bathe in a public bath with other men. The wise Cato even avoided bathing with his own son.
Some critics believed that a woman's beauty lay only in her face; this is seemingly agreed upon by Seneca, who said: 'There is no beautiful woman whose thighs or arms are commendable in form, but whose entire embodiment diminishes and dulls the remarkable elegance of all other parts.' Without doubt, this philosopher understood that in usual contemplation one first regards...
Translation Notes
Tacitus: A Roman historian known for his analysis of ancient workings.