By 500 bc, Alexander the Great insisted that his troops shave to avoid dangerous beard-grabbing in combat, and because he believed it looked tidier. His logic persisted for almost two centuries. In Rome, the rich retained servants to shave them, while the less wealthy would head to a barber who used an “iron novacila,” a shaving instrument which tended to rust and grow blunt, cutting many and killing a few with tetanus. But this didn’t deter Roman men from seeing a tonsor because, as has always been the case, the barber shop was the heart of local gossip and news. As well, one’s class and status could be read by the hair on your face, including whether you were a slave or master...


An Iron novacila, essentially a block of iron filed down to one sharp edge. Of course, barbaric shaving tools like the novacila resulted in plenty of cuts, but thankfully tonsors had a workaround: coat their customers’ cut faces with a soothing plaster made from perfumed ointment and vinegar-soaked spider webs.

In 296 bc, the Greek entrepreneur, Ticinus Maenas, imported professional barbers from Sicily to Rome, which meant that professional shaving became even trendier. As is still the case, young men ritualized their first shave, usually at the age of about twenty-one (late bloomers compared to today); they used iron blades with long handles. Friends and elders were invited to witness the first procedure, bringing elaborate gifts. The shorn tufts were then gathered in gold or silver boxes to be presented to the gods. The formidable Roman general, Scipio Africans Major (236-184 bc), who defeated Hannibal, continued to pitch the virtues of a clean shave by doing it three times a day. One hundred and fifty years later, Julius Caesar had beard hairs plucked out individually with tweezers, considerably more time-consuming, but no doubt safer than entrusting his regal throat to the blade of a corruptible servant. Meanwhile, his soldiers were stuck with rubbing their beards off with pumice.


Juluis Caesar had his beard hairs plucked out individually with tweezers, considerably more time-consuming, but no doubt safer than entrusting his regal throat to the blade of a corruptible servant.

The Greco-Roman world remained clean-shaven until Emperor Hadrian (76-138 ad), who grew a beard to hide either a bad case of acne, facial warts, or scars, depending on your source. Young men, of course, followed their leader, so facial hair sprouted defiantly once again for several centuries. Galen wrote extensively on barbering, hair-removal, and cosmetics, gaining him much favour with the power-elite, in time he ministered to them as a renowned physician.


High Middle Ages dress circa 1485

In the Middle Ages in Europe, the grooming industry was booming – use of cosmetics, deodorants, teeth cleaners and such, became immensely popular. It could be argued there were religious reasons for such fastidiousness after the schism in 1054 between the Eastern Church and the Roman Church. Western clergy insisted on a shaven face so that Catholics could be distinguished, not only from their lapsed counterparts, but also from “infidels” like Muslims and Jews.

The act of shaving could sometimes be seriously misinterpreted, and the most famous and fatal example occurred at the Battle of Hastings. In 1066, William of Normandy invaded England and took on Harold, King of Hastings. The English were defeated because the Saxon spies mistook the shaven French for priests and not the enemy that they were. What might be called a “clerical” error led to a most devastating defeat.


Pilgrims to the Holy Land were also permitted to be bearded, in imitation of the Apostles.

In 1096, William, Archbishop of Rouen, prohibited beard-wearing, with several other edicts following in short order. Barbers thrived, and throughout the 12th century, the French were almost entirely beardless. One exception to universal shaving was afforded the Crusaders, who were on the road (so to speak) for months to years, and needed to remain inconspicuous in the Middle East. Pilgrims to the Holy Land were also permitted to be bearded, in imitation of the Apostles. Meanwhile, in the New World, aboriginals, who tended to be less hairy in the first place, deftly plucked hair with clam shells. Later, Aztecs took advantage of their close proximity to volcanoes to forge razors of volcanic obsidian. Of course, in pre-colonial, pre-Christian days, they had their own reasons for doing so.



Shaving continued to be somewhat of a treacherous operation until well into the 17th century when a smooth face under a wigged head was required. In 1680, a type of folding razor first appeared in England. Frenchman Jean Jacques Perret conceptualized the first safety razor around 1770, which had a wooden guard along the blade. He also wrote an early self-help book entitled La Pogonotomie (The Art of Learning to Shave Oneself). The Perret razor was eventually manufactured and its use became widespread in the late 1700s. The invention of cast steel came along in 1740, very useful for razor-making, and a good example of how industrialization created markets for the home.

To be Continued...

Link: The Anti-Beard: A History of Shaving ~ Part 1


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