MOURNING, among the ancients, was expressed various ways.
Amongst the Jews, on the death of their relations or intimate friends, grief or mourning was signified by weeping, tearing their clothes, smiting their breasts, or tearing them with their nails, pulling or cutting off their hair and beards, walking softly, i. e. barefoot, lying upon the ground, fasting, or eating upon the ground. They kept themselves close shut up in their houses, covered their faces, and abstained from all work, even reading the law, and saying their usual prayers. They neither dressed themselves, nor made their beds, nor shaved themselves, nor cut their nails, nor went into the bath, nor saluted any body: so that sulkiness seems to have been an indication of sorrow; and dirtiness, of distress. The time of mourning among the Jews was generally seven days: though this
was lengthened or shortened according to circumstances; but 30 days were thought sufficient upon the severest occasions. The different periods of the time of mourning required different degrees of grief, and different tokens of it.
The Greeks, on the death of friends, showed their sorrow by secluding themselves from all gaiety, entertainments, games, public solemnities, the enjoyment of wine, and the delights of music. They sat in gloomy and solitary places, stripped themselves of all external ornaments, put on a coarse black stuff by way of mourning; tore their hair, shaved their heads, rolled themselves in the dust and mire, sprinkled ashes on their heads, smote their breasts with their palms, tore their faces, and frequently cried out with a lamentable voice and drawing tone, reiterating the interjection ἔξω, ἔξω, ἔξω; hence funeral lamentations were called Ἐξωσί. If they appeared in public during the time of mourning, they had a veil thrown over their faces and heads. During the funeral procession, certain persons called Ἱερεὶς Ἐξωσί marched before, and sung melancholy strains called ὑποθύμια Ἰαλμῶν, Ἀνῶν and Ἀλμῶν. These vocal mourners sung thrice during the procession round the pile and round the grave. Flutes were also used to heighten the solemnity. At the funerals of soldiers, their fellow soldiers who attended, as a testimony of their affliction, held their shields, their spears, and the rest of their armour, inverted.
The tokens of private grief among the Romans were the same as those already observed as customary among the Greeks. Black or dark brown were the colours of the mourning habits worn by the men; they were also common to the women. The mourning of the emperors at first was black. In the time of Augustus, the women wore white veils, and the rest of their dress black. From the time of Domitian they wore nothing but white habits, without any ornaments of gold, jewels, or pearls. The men let their hair, and beards grow, and wore no wreaths of flowers on their heads while the days of mourning continued. The longest time of mourning was ten months: this was Numa's establishment, and took in his whole year. For a widow to marry during this time was infamous. Mourning was not used for children who died under three years of age. From this age to ten they mourned as many months as the child was years old. A remarkable victory, or other happy event, occasioned the shortening of the time of mourning: The birth of a child, or the attainment of any remarkable honour in the family, certain feasts in honour of the gods, or the consecration of a temple, had the same effect. After the battle of Cannæ, the commonwealth decreed that mourning should not be worn for more than 30 days, that the lols might be forgotten as soon as possible. When public magistrates died, or persons of great note, also when any remarkable calamity happened, all public meetings were intermitted, the schools of exercise, baths, shops, temples, and all places of concourse were shut up, and the whole city put on a face of sorrow; the senators laid aside the laticlave, and the consuls sat in a lower seat than ordinary. This was the custom of Athens also, and was observed upon the death of Socrates not long after he had been sentenced to death by their judges.
Præstare, or mourning women, (by the Greeks called Ἐξωσί), went about the streets; this was customary
mary among the Jews as well as the Greeks and Romans, (Jerem. ix. 17.)