A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

40 The Tigris-Euphrates Valley
Strength, prosperity, and health. Spirit of heaven remember,
spirit of earth remember.
XII. Babylonian Customs
Dress.
Herodotus i.
195-
Marriage.
lb. 196.
The following is the manner of dress which they use,
namely a linen tunic reaching to the feet, and over this
they put on another of wool, and then a white mantle
thrown around, while they have shoes of native fashion
rather like the Boeotian slippers. They wear their hair
long and bind their heads around with fillets,
and they
are anointed over the whole of their bodies with perfumes.
Each man has a seal and staff carved by hand, and on each
staff is carved either an apple or a rose or a lily or an eagle
or some other device, for it is not their custom to have a
staff without a device upon it.
Such is the equipment of their bodies: and the customs
which are established among them are as follows, the wisest
in our opinion being this, which I am informed that
the Enetoi in Illyria also have. In every village once in
each year it was done as follows:—when the maidens grew
to the age for marriage, they gathered these all together
and brought them in a body to one place, and round them
stood a company of men: and the crier caused each one
severally to stand up, and proceeded to sell them, first
the most comely of all, and afterwards, when she had been
sold and had fetched a large sum of money, he would put
up another who was the most comely after her: and they
were sold for marriage. Now all the wealthy men of the
Babylonians who were ready to marry vied with one another
in bidding for the most beautiful maidens; those
however of the common sort who were ready to marry
did not require a fine form, but they would accept money
together with less comely maidens. For when the crier