Soccus

A comedic actor in socci[1]

A soccus (pl. socci) or sýkkhos (Greek: σύκχος, pl. sýkkhoi), sometimes given in translation as a slipper, was a loosely fitting slip-on shoe[2] in Ancient Greece and Rome with a leather sole and separate leather, bound without the use of hobnails. The word appears to originate from the languages of ancient Anatolia. They were worn by Ancient Greek comedic actors, contrasted with the cothurni worn by tragedians, and were borrowed into Latin and worn by the ancient Romans.[2][3] The soccus was considered effeminate, and the emperor Caligula is described as having worn them, possibly as a form of insult.[4][5] Later socci became popular with the general public, and several types were listed in the Edict of Diocletian.[6] The word was adopted into West Germanic languages for similarly light footwear, eventually becoming English socks.

  1. ^ Smith (1868), p. 1067.
  2. ^ a b Smith, William (1868). A Smaller Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. John Murray. p. 345. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  3. ^ Thorburn, John E. (2005). The Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. Infobase Publishing. p. 511. ISBN 978-0-8160-7498-3.
  4. ^ Davies, Glenys; Llewellyn-Jones, Lloyd (2007). Greek and Roman Dress from A to Z. Routledge. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-134-58916-6.
  5. ^ Olson, Kelly (2012-08-06). Dress and the Roman Woman: Self-Presentation and Society. Routledge. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-134-12120-5. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  6. ^ Sebesta, Judith Lynn; Bonfante, Larissa, eds. (2001). The World of Roman Costume. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-13854-2.