Tattoos Now And Then
According to the Greek Reporter, tattoos were once reserved for the branding of criminals in Ancient Greece.
The Ancient Greeks had a far darker view of tattoos than modern society, which often romanticizes body art as rebellion, an aesthetic statement, or simply a bit of fun. In their world, inking the skin had nothing to do with celebrating individuality or uniqueness.
Instead, tattoos served as a permanent badge of shame for the Ancient Greeks, reserved for those who had lost their freedom or betrayed their city-state. Even the Greek word, “stigma,” we use today to describe a mark of disgrace originates from this ancient practice. For the ancients, a tattooed body was the ultimate symbol of social exclusion rather than a fashion statement.
The Greeks called these markings “stigmata,” from the verb stizo, meaning to “prick” or “puncture.”
Thems were smart, those Ancient Greeks. I’m assuming they weren’t on top of toxic dyes seeping through skin pores either.
To the Greek eye, the tattooed skin of a Thracian or Persian signaled “otherness” and a lack of civilization. It reinforced the belief that the natural, unblemished body reflected the inner virtue of the kalos kagathos—the ideal gentleman who was both beautiful and good.
Well I’m gonna be honest, that’s what I’ve always reckoned. One can assume this logic applied to the ladies also. It goes on…
As a result, tattoos drew a clear line between the civilized Greek world and the perceived savagery of surrounding nations. One of the most intriguing stories of tattoos involves their use in espionage, demonstrating the layers of meaning embedded in this practice. Herodotus recounts how Histiaeus needed to send a secret message to his son-in-law, Aristagoras, urging a revolt against the Persians.
To bypass heavy security on the roads, Histiaeus shaved the head of his most trusted slave, tattooed the message onto his scalp, and waited for the hair to grow back. Once concealed, the slave was sent with the single instruction: shave my head. This ingenious use of the human body as a secret messenger exemplifies the creativity of the Ancient Greeks.
Tattoos aplenty on the modern Greeks by contrast. Just saying…