The Instructor 2.10.114

Just as we must keep clear of all absurdity in the making of clothes, so we must guard against immoderation in their use. It is not good to be dressed above the knee, as they say Spartan girls are; for it is not seemly for any part of a woman to be bared. Indeed, one could very decorously give that witty reply to the man who said, “A beautiful arm,” “But not public”; and “Beautiful legs,” “But only for my husband”; and “A lovely face,” “But only for the one who married me.” But I do not want self-controlled women even to give occasion for such praises to those who, through praises, hunt for what is blameworthy. It is not only that baring the ankle is forbidden; it is commanded that the head be veiled and the face shaded. For it is not holy for the beauty of the body to be a snare for men; nor is it reasonable for a woman to wish to be admired by using a purple veil. Would that it were possible to remove the purple from clothing, so that it might not turn the eyes of spectators to the face of those who wear it! But the women, weaving very little of the rest of the garment, have made the whole of it purple, inflaming idleness; and indeed, going about distracted over these foolish and delicate purples, “purple death has seized them,” as the poet says.