ABSTRACT
Gell (1993) defines tattoos as a “paradoxical double skin”, which reflects both personal beliefs and societal pressures. This chapter applies this concept to the classical world by exploring the meanings of ancient tattoos. It also surveys the diverse tattooing methods and the politics of tattooing in antiquity. Although the Greeks and Romans employed tattoos punitively, voluntary tattoos from Thrace to Egypt fulfilled decorative, magical, and religious functions. Finally, this chapter links ancient tattooing to modern body art by comparing Late Antique Christian tattoos to Soviet prison tattoos, which display the same patterns of coercion, subversion, and innovation that characterise tattoos in antiquity.
