The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 2 (of 6)

Chapter 101: CHAP. 59. (59.)—WHEN BARBERS WERE FIRST EMPLOYED.1482

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

The volume assembles an encyclopedic survey of the known world and its living inhabitants, moving from detailed regional geography and descriptions of seas, rivers, islands, and peoples to extended treatments of humanity, its generation, anatomy, and the origins and inventions of arts. Subsequent books catalog terrestrial animals—their habits, capture, and uses—followed by comprehensive observations on fish and marine creatures, their sizes and behaviors. Accounts mix naturalistic description, reported marvels, medicinal uses derived from animals, and travel and secondhand reports, organized as topical chapters intended as a practical compendium of natural and human phenomena.

CHAP. 59. (59.)—WHEN BARBERS WERE FIRST EMPLOYED.1482

The next point upon which all nations appear to have agreed, was the employment of barbers.1483 The Romans, however, were more tardy in the adoption of their services. According to Varro, they were introduced into Italy from Sicily, in the year of Rome 454,1484 having been brought over by P. Titinius Mena: before which time the Romans did not cut the hair. The younger Africanus 1485 was the first who adopted the custom of shaving every day. The late Emperor Augustus always made use of razors.1486