Koturns are sandals or boots that were made of genuine leather, and later they began to use cork for the sole. Imperceptibly similar shoes underwent changes. Since 500 BC e. the thickness of the sole began to increase gradually. Shoes appeared one elbow high, which is approximately 46.3 cm.
Platform shoes have been popular for centuries. In many countries, people in ancient times, trying to look taller and more beautiful, made shoes and sandals with high soles. This shoe was called koturny in ancient Greece, and later it appeared in ancient Rome.
Koturna in the theater
In the old drawings, you can see actors performing in shoes on a large platform.
When the performances depicted gods, emperors, to create a convincing image, they wore platform shoes to become more visible and more important than others. They should only look down on ordinary mortals, and those - look at them from the bottom up.
Performances often took place in large amphitheaters. To convey the image to the audience, which could be very far from the stage, the actors used bright costumes, large masks, high shoes.
Koturna - it was an attribute of tragic actors. It was believed that a tall and sad person more corresponds to such an image. And comedians wore juices that looked like flip flops.
The muse of tragedy - Melpomene, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, was responsible for the tragic singing. She was portrayed as a very tall girl with a bandage and a wreath with leaves on her head, a theatrical mantle fluttered behind her. In her hands she held a club and a tragic mask, and she was shod in koturna. They symbolized the tragedy at that time.
The invention of koturns is ascribed to Aeschylus. After all, it was he who was looking for a way to increase the growth of theater actors.
Koturna is shoes for the rich
Only very wealthy people could use such original shoes for everyday wear. Shoes in ancient Greece were expensive, they were made in special workshops. In this case, various decorations, cords, embossing, rivets were used.
She was of excellent quality, emphasizing the status and importance of her possessor, raising him above ordinary mortals in the literal sense of the word.
Koturna was worn by men and women. Moreover, in the pair of shoes there was no difference between the right and left shoes.
What does the expression mean to stand on a koturna?
Of course, shoes on a high platform are not very suitable for people employed at work, who need to walk a lot. This was the privilege of the nobility, which had nowhere to rush.
Gradually, katurns became available to more people belonging to different classes.
Putting on these shoes, a man physically towered above others. And if he was conceited, conceited, behaved arrogantly, then they said about him that he “got into katurns”, that is, he began to consider himself something smarter, more significant than others, ceased to take into account the opinions of others.
Koturna is the platform shoes popular until today. The idea is used by fashion designers in creating new collections.
Shoes, clogs, platform sandals are enjoyed by millions of people around the world, regardless of origin, who want to look taller and slimmer.