LACERNA, a coarse, thick garment worn by the Romans over their gowns, like a cloak, to keep out the rain and the cold. It was first used in the camp, but afterwards admitted into the city. The emperors wore the lacerna of a purple dye. The lacerna, at first very short, was lengthened after it became fashionable, which was not till the civil wars and the triumvirate; before this time it was confined to the soldiers. Senators were forbidden to wear it in the city by Valentinian and Theodosius. Martial makes mention of lacernæ worth ten thousand sesterces. Some confound this garment with the penula; but it seems rather to have resembled the chlamys and birrus.