What did the ancient Romans look like, ethnically?

Question

The seem to be portrayed as light skinned, light haired in a lot of art and drama. But being from Italy, especially with the climate there and probably spending more time outdoors than we do (at least I think they did), I imagine they would have had dark skin and hair for the most part. Am I right?

Answer 1

I'm Italian and I am not so proficient in English language.
I will try to explain.

A person IS ethnically Roman, American, etc.
A person doesn't look like ethnically.

I think that your supposition is for Romans living in Italy, but Romans spawned in almost all Western Europe to the Rhin river.
Therefore your question is almost just as asking "What do the today Americans look like, ethnically?"
May be old Romans had more uniform body feature, but they are thae same people ethnically (and there were other peoples also in Roman Empire)

Answer 2

I am going to give an answer:

but this question would be good on the "Art" area

We have art: sculpture, paintings on walls, mosaics, and more in the literature from "Rome".

We know Romans (those in the main families) were not all dark haired and say tanned, better "olive skinned" as I am.

Cicero and all those guys wrote this down, the artists painted, and such, but there we terms - words- for those born, or such from other lands, but as the folks posted here: they became "Romans", real citizens.

Roman citizens of "noble" birth were "in-breed", to a degree, but do not panic, no more than the Royals of Europe over the last 200 years.

Why? well most of the TV and movies use "British", United Kingdom actors. I mean can some guy act in a role who is an American with a regional accent? No, well; we will let the great Brando get away with his Julius Caesar movie in the 1950's.

So, Italians were not are not nor the people of Rome all
darker skin, and black hair, not even in 44BC or 200 AD.

But the further north one gets the hair colours change,
could be it was the same then.

But just get an Art book on Rome and well the question is answered.

But blonde's in Rome? Not on the mosaics. Well not much.

Answer 3

It's pretty well-known that many Italians from the Northern part of the country are light-skinned & fair haired. I would imagine there was probably a mixture in Rome.

Answer 4

We always portray the Romans as all being Italian. Rome wasn't actually what it is today. The Romans came from all over the world. But i think most of them would have had dark features (well at least tanned skin) from the heat.

Answer 5

Brown or black hair, brown eyes, and a medium complexion when not tanned. The wealthier the man, the better the tan up until about age 35.

Young Roman men spent a lot of leisure time in sports. Working class men didn't have that opportunity.

The legions of Rome were opened up to the client races. One of the ways a man could get Roman citizenship was to serve in the legions. That's when you began to have a lot of Gauls (blonde and fair skinned) serving in the legions. As more regions of Gaul became Romanized, more of their young men entered the Roman army.

Answer 6

Italy has as many light skinned/light haired people as they do darker ones, especially in Northern Italy. There probably isn't much difference between ancient Romans and modern Italians, although maybe a bit more dark-skinned people since the Romans focused their attention more on the Mediterranean.

Answer 7

The Romans were not actually a race of people or ethnic group, so they could have looked many different ways. That's like asking what do citizens of the United States look like. The majority of America is white, but there are all races and ethnic groups. That being said, a major portion of their empire was located in Mediterranean region.

Answer 8

Light and dark hair and skin. Lightness due to Keltic history of ancient Rome. Prominent nose, not very tall, heavy build and skulls that were flat on the top and rounded on the sides.

Answer 9

I think you're right.