Nudus
γυμνός
Nudus (γυμνός). These words, besides denoting absolute nakedness, which was to be ἀναμπέχονος καὶ ἀχίτων (compare Moschus, 4.98), were applied to anyone who, being without an AMICTUS wore only his tunic. (Aristoph. Eccl. 409; Lysist. 150; John 21.7.) In this state of semi-nudity, the ancients performed the operations of ploughing, sowing, and reaping. (Hes. Op. et Dies, 391; Aristoph. Lys. 1177; Verg. G. 1.299; Aelian, Ael. VH 6.11, 13.27; Matt. 24.18.) Thus Cincinnatus was found nudus at the plough when he was called to be dictator, and sent for his toga, that he might appear before the senate. (Plin. Nat. 18.20; Aur. Vict. de Vir. Illust. 17; Liv. 3.26.) The accompanying woodcut is taken from an antique gem in the Florentine Collection, and shows a man ploughing in his tunic only.
This term applied to the warrior expressed the absence of some part of his armour. Hence the light armed were called γυμνῆτες.
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.