Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Theristrum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

THERIS'TRUM (θέριστρον and θερίστριον). A Greek word (Theocr. xv. 69.), adopted into the Latin language at a late period. (Tertull. Pall. 4. Hieron. ii. in Isai. iii. 23.) In both languages, the precise meaning of the term is somewhat uncertain, beyond the fact that it denoted some part of the female attire which was worn in summer as a protection against the sun. It consisted of a square piece of cloth (pallium, Isidor. Orig. xix. 25. 6.); and probably was used as a covering for the head, like the annexed example (Theristrum/1.1), from a bas-relief, which closely resembles in its arrangement the manner still adopted by the female peasantry in many parts of Italy, who cover their heads with a linen cloth in summer and a woollen one in winter; the summer cloth, θερίστριον, is moreover opposed to the winter one, χειμάστριον.

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  Theristrum/1.1