Beards, Blades, and the Politics of the Male Face: From Ancient Kings to Sideburns

Why do men shave? And why do they stop?From the sculpted beards of ancient kings to the clean-shaven ideals of Rome, from Victorian mutton chops to the birth of the word “sideburns,” the male face has always been more than personal style. It has been a signal of power, discipline, rebellion, and identity.In this episode of The Threads of History I explore the long and surprisingly political history of facial hair. Along the way, we meet emperors, philosophers, soldiers, and presidents, and uncover how something as simple as a beard can shape perception before a word is ever spoken.Plus: the strange rise of nineteenth-century whisker fashion, the real reason soldiers started shaving in wartime, and why the mustache may be the most dangerous style of all.