The Chiton
The chiton (kithon in Ionian) is the most useful and essential piece of clothing for the reenactor. It is a square piece of fabric, of varying material and size, that was either draped, sewn or pinned around the body and was either left unbelted or was belted in the waist.
There were many versions of the chiton depending on the material, width, length, way of belting, weaving and embellishment techniques, and many of them were used simultaneously but different options were preferred in different times and places, depending on fashion, wealth, tradition and the occasion.
The chiton was originally considered a solely male garment. Older men wore it long and especially in the archaic times it is usually shown without belt. The long chiton can reach from the middle of the shins up to the ankles.
Young men and boys wear the long chiton only on special occasions, in religious rituals, as a uniform for playing music or when driving a chariot (the blowing wind can make a short chiton a rather unseemly sight during a chariot race).
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The short chiton was called a "chitoniskos". It reached from the middle of the thighs up to the knees and was usually belted with one or two belts, but occasionally left unbelted especially under armour.
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Our main categorisation however will be between the Doric chiton and the Ionian chiton (kithon), since this was an ancient distinction as well. Our descriptions below will be mainly for the chitoniskos since this seems to be the most useful to the majority of reenactors, but it is also much more frequently represented in ancient art. The latter must be because the depiction of young athletic men was much more popular than older men, and even when old men are represented, the himation alone is by far the commonest garment. The stereotypical old men in vase iconography are Priam and Nestor, and they are usually wearing the long chiton under their himation. Other kings and gods are also depicted in the same fashion, like Poseidon, Zeus, Dionysus and even king Croesus.
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Below we provide some examples of the long chiton in relation to old men.
Under his himation Priam is wearing a wide long chiton
Priam is wearing a long chiton under his himation
getting sacrificed, wearing a kingly elaborate chiton
Under his himation Priam is wearing a wide long chiton
The long chiton in relation to charioteers.
The most famous charioteer is the bronze statue from Delphi. He is wearing a long chiton with a wide belt around his waist. The material is secured in the upper body by thongs crossed at the back and passed around the shoulders, to prevent floating during the race
The other famous charioteer is the marble statue from Motya. He is wearing a long unbelted and pleated chiton, but he is wearing a special fastener around his chest, made of thicker woven fabric, to prevent the chiton from floating and moving uncontrollably during the race. Notice how he has gathered and folded the fullness of the garment in the front
Charioteer from a fresco from Paestum. The Greek tradition of wearing a long chiton on the chariot has passed on this Italian painting
The most famous charioteer is the bronze statue from Delphi. He is wearing a long chiton with a wide belt around his waist. The material is secured in the upper body by thongs crossed at the back and passed around the shoulders, to prevent floating during the race
The long chiton in relation to musicians. Perhaps it would be more correct however to link the long chiton not with all musicians but those that perform certain rituals, either religious or contests, although musical contests in antiquity also had religious connections. Perhaps it is related to the likeness with the image of Apollo, another god who is frequently holding his kithara and wears a long chiton. There are numerous depictions of musicians that do not wear a long chiton, but none of them depicts a ritual, instead usually symposium scenes or other entertainment.
and a boy playing the diaulos (double flute) in a long unbelted chiton.
and an older man in the same long unbelted chiton
not with his kithara or lyre, but still in a long chiton and himation
and a boy playing the diaulos (double flute) in a long unbelted chiton.
The Doric chiton