In the modern world, a man can decide himself to grow or not to grow a beard. After all, today, this choice is not regulated by legal, moral and ethical standards, but rather is determined by fashion trends. But this was not always the case. For example, among the ancient Greeks, the wearing of a beard was welcomed, but in ancient Rome — not.
But why did people grow beards in ancient Greece and did not do so in Rome? To answer this question, let us turn to history.
Beard in the cultures of the peoples of the world
The attitude toward a beard among the peoples of the world has always been diverse. First of all, it depended on the cultural customs of the country and the era. Therefore, in many cultures it was believed that once a man has grown a
beard he became able to openly voice his opinion and make decisions. And in some nations, only the chosen ones were allowed to wear a beard.
For example, in ancient Egypt, only the Pharaoh could have a beard. The rest of the men necessarily had to have their face shaved. It is worth noting that the beard of the Pharaoh was most often artificial.
Moreover, in ancient times, the beard was necessary to protect the face from adverse weather conditions. And only in the 1st millennium BC people began to grow a beard ornamentally as a decoration of a male face.
A Beard in Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks wore a beard with reverence. The beard for men of ancient Greece was a matter of pride and symbolized wisdom and enlightenment. Some types of beard could tell to which particular philosophical school a man could belong to.
However, with the rise to power of Alexander the Great, everything changed, and the popularity of wearing a beard quickly came to naught. Therefore, some say that that people stopped wearing beards following the example of their bearded military leader. While others say that Alexander the Great failed to grow a normal beard, and therefore the subjects ordered the beards to be shaved off.
It is also known that Alexander the Great ordered his soldiers to completely shave their faces before the battle. This was done in order to ensure security — that the enemy could not grab a warrior by the beard. Since then, only philosophers and thinkers have worn a beard in Greece.
What about a beard in ancient Rome?
In ancient Rome, the beard was not popular. From ancient times, Romans have preferred a clean shaved face. The ancestor of this tradition is considered to be the Roman emperor Nero.
The Romans believed that a smooth and clean face without a beard and a neat hairstyle embody a civilized, rich and successful person. While long hair and a beard are signs of poverty and barbarism. And if the Greeks had to grow a beard by the age of 20, the Romans at that age solemnly shaved it off.
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Therefore, it turns out that in ancient Greece the beard was a personification of wisdom, and determined belonging to a particular philosophical school. Therefore, in a certain time period, wearing a beard was mandatory for men. In ancient Rome, the attitude towards facial hair was different, the beard was considered a sign of barbarism — therefore, the Romans were forced to shave.
