digitvs impvdicvs

[The breadth of contemporary Roman influence usually doesn't include the domain of fashion.] Indeed, modern day dress [doesn't] necessarily include cloaks tunics, togas, and open-toed sandals, but many of the ideals and legacies set forth by the Roman Empire have served as direct inspiration for [among others] the Southern California based company “Triumvir.”

Translated from Latin, triumvir reads “of three men,” and accordingly, Triumvir was founded in 2004 by a three Taiwanese emigrants who dug their roots into the Pacific Coast's Orange County. In creating their independent lifestyle/clothing company, the founders (like those of the United States) demonstrated a dedication to the lasting impressions left by the classics. They sought to embrace and the diversity of the cultures [inhabitating]the Southern California area with a “playground in Los Angeles, relaxing getaway in San Diego, and home in between.”

The Second Triumvirate was a legally established military dictatorship, agreed upon by the state, Augustus Caesar (successor to Julius Caesar), and two others in 43 BC; Augustus eventually gained sole control and engineered a system of government under which a Republican state could be ruled by a monarch. His style of administration would serve as the model for [that of] the entire Roman Empire, and the period during and after his rule came to be known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace).

Like George Washington would later on in American history, Augustus also initially refused the power offered to him by the Roman populace, thus embodying the classic republican ideal of a powerful leader who declined rule in the best interests of the nation.

[It's] no wonder then, considering the classical mindset of its founders, that the clothing company would choose to focus on the image of triumvir Augustus Caesar for this advertisement. The graphic designer took the world-renowned sculpture “Augustus of Prima Porta” and made one distinct edit; instead of having his hand raised in the classical “adlocution” pose (reserved for public speaking and addressing troops), Augustus' likeness is shown to be displaying an upraised middle finger. The tagline underneath reads, “Rome never fell.”

While most Westerners are familiar with the offensive nature of the hand gesture, [one'd] be hard pressed to find a person who knew its origin. Urban legends point to the British and French using the gesture as a taunt towards the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1415, but more suggestive evidence indicates that the upraised middle finger has a much longer history; the digitus impudicus (impudent finger) described in Ancient Roman texts was a symbol of rage/rebellion, and the same finger was used in Greek plays as an insult, as well.

This modern day widespread awareness of the gesture's meaning only stands as a testament to the [pervasive] scope of classic Roman and Greek influence. Among other things, [the 2000+ year history of the] digitus impudicus (with the help of trivial startup clothing brands) has been a great indicator that the ideas that emerged out of the Roman Empire will long outlive its fall.