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Show Ancients Believed Man's Glory Was His Beard There was a deep-rooted belief among the ancient peoples of the East that a innn's glory was his beard. Compulsory shaving and the close-cropping close-cropping of lialr were signs of degradation. degra-dation. This Is borne out by Assyrian sculptures, which always show kings with beards and long hair und slaves with close-cropped hair and cleanshaven clean-shaven faces. The Egyptians, however, hnd different differ-ent Ideas. They considered that hair was a source of dirt and shaved both face and head. Their slaves and servants serv-ants were compelled to do the same. The early Greeks nnd Itomnns shaved off their beards because they gave the enemy a good hold In hand-to-hand fighting I It Is recorded that Alexander Al-exander the Great ordered his soldiers to shave for this reason. It was the custom among Romans to shave off the heard at the age of twenty-one and present It as an offering offer-ing to the household gods. A beard was grown after that age only as a tlgn of mourning. London TIt-BIts. |