Charles Taze Russell and his Roman toga

by Kenneson 13 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Kenneson

  I remember reading one time in a religious periodical discussing the Watchtower Society and its founder, Charles Taze Russell, that as he approached his end he requested that his body be placed in a Roman toga. I found that odd and wondered where they had gotten that tidbit. This weekend I found the answer in the Memorial issue dedicated to Charles Taze Russell in the Dec. 1, 1916 Watch Tower. The first mention of it is in the Afternoon Service address of Russell's traveling secretary, Menta Sturgeon. But I still wondered, why in the world did Russell request this? Sturgeon doesn't explain. But as I read on I came across the Oration at Evening Service (p. 373) by J.F. Rutherford (who became the second president of the Watchtower Society) and this is what I was looking for.

  "Seven hours before his death, addressing his traveling companion, Brother Menta Sturgeon, he {Russell] said: 'Make me a Roman toga.' Using the bed sheets, Brother Sturgeon made a toga, which Brother Russell put on himself. He stood erect for a moment, and then lying down on the couch in his Pullman drawing room, closed his eyes, thus in symbolical language speaking of death. A great deal of the Bible is written in symbolical language, and it was quite appropriate that he should speak his last message in symbols. It is intesting here to know what a Roman toga symbolizes. Augustus Poet Laureate said: 'It is by the toga that the royal nation is recognized.' The word toga means a covering garment (white robe). It was the official robe of higher magistrates, priests and of persons discharging vows, and was worn on special occasions, such as celebrating a triumph...By wearing the toga Brother Russell in effect said, 'I have fought the good fight; I have triumphed and shall be received as a member of the Royal Family of heaven.' "

  In spite of Rutherford's symbolical explanation I still find this a bizarre request. How many non-Romans in the last century do we know of who died in a Roman toga besides Russell? Was it intended to make a lasting impression on his followers?

  http://www.ctrussell.us/

  Click Watch Tower on left. Go to the year 1916 and click. Then go down to Dec. 1, 1916 and click again.
• 

  cruzanheart

  If anyone even SUGGEST putting me in a toga when I die, I'll . . . I'll . . . I'll HAUNT them, that's what I'll do!

  Good grief, that's just plain silly. Even Paul didn't do that. He just SAID: "I have fought the fine fight," etc. Of course, he was probably already wearing a toga . . .

  Nina (of the Sartoriously Conscious class)
• 

  RR

  Cruz, you been watching too much of "animal house".
• 

  RR

  On Saturday night enroute to Los Angeles Brother Sturgeon had worked over the Pastor all night. Sunday night he had thought him better, because of his having gotten up to speak in the afternoon. But Monday night he was up all night again with him. His restlessness required frequent change of position to relieve his suffering. When too weak to speak and indicate this wish to be raised or lowered, he would motion by raising his arm, and as Brother Sturgeon pla ced his arms about him to perform the service, his ear would come close to the Pastor?s mouth and he could hear him whisper.

  It seemed that Brother Russell wished to show Brother Sturgeon that he realized the nearness of death. Monday morning, as he was lying on the drawing- room couch, he said: "Brother Sturgeon, make me a Roman toga." "I don?t know how," said Brother Sturgeon. "I?ll show you how," he said; and taking two sheets, he folded them down about a foot at the top and had them fastened on at the shoulders with a pin, one in front and one behind. He lay down in this robe, a very picture of death, and passed into death thus garbed.

  Because of the laws of the state, Brother Sturgeon could not be permitted to proceed to Kansas City for the services of an embalmer, but left the train at Waynoka, Oklahoma, causing a delay of seven hours in the journey eastward. Chicago was reached Thursday morning. Several hundred friends of the Chicago class were at the Dearborn St. station to meet the train, and had provided a hearst to convey the remains of their Pastor to the Union Depot. Thirty six- passenger touring cars were engaged to convey the friends across, and these, with private cars, made a considerable funeral procession through the streets of Chicago?s business district. Elders of the Chicago class served as pallbearers. An elaborate floral tribute was provided by the class there. (Taken from St. Paul Enterprise)

  _________

  "Seven hours before his death, addressing his traveling companion, he said, 'Make me a Roman Toga.' Using the bed sheets, his companion made a Toga, as directed, which Brother Russell put on himself. He stood erect for a moment, then lying down on the couch in his Pullman drawing room, he closed his eyes, thus in symbolic language speaking of death. A great deal of the Bible is written in symbolic language, and it was quite appropriate that he should speak his last message to the Church in symbols. It is interesting to note what a 'Roman Toga' symbolizes: Augustus, Poet Laureate, said, 'It is by the Toga that the royal nation is recognized!' The word 'toga' means a covering garment (white robe). It was the official robe of priests and persons discharging vows, and was worn, on special occasions, such as celebrating a Triumph. 'Triumphant Zion, put all thy beauteous garments on, and let thine excellence be known.' (taken from "The LAodecian Messenger 1925)
• 

  gitasatsangha

  Russell was desperately trying to convince his followers he really was nuts, but to no avail. His final book, a 700 page tome called "I Am Really Freakin Nuts, Folks, Stop This Religion Before Someone Gets Hurt!" was never published posthumously.
• 

  RandomTask

  Probably because of the verse in Revelation where it speaks of them wearing "white robes". too bad there weren't any palm branches on the train...
• 

  jws

  Actually, the toga was the official "outfit" of a free roman citizen, not just priests and people disposing vows. Furthermore, white togas were for the common man. Togas with purple signified rank, special occasion, or childhood.

  In Chapter 15 (Clothing, finery and bathing) of Daily Life in Ancient Rome by Florence Dupont (translated by Christopher Woodall), it talks about the colors:

  Because the toga was an important part of the citizen's visible body, it was used to indicate civic rank and distinction, symbolized by variations in colour.

  The toga worn by the average adult citizen was plain and unadorned, the colour of natural wool, often brownish among the poor. Only election candidates wore pure white, chalk-bleached, togas. Indeed this was how candidates let people in the forum know that they were standing for election as magistrates. The dazzling white of their togas would stand out from the sea of beige and brown. The augurs' togas were saffron-coloured. The toga worn by superior magistrates and children was edged with a broad band of purple and known as the

  toga praetexta . The purple border was woven into the toga using a thread of wool dyed purple.

  ?Purple' was no one specific colour: it could cover anything from light pink to dark mauve. Besides, the Romans were not sensitive to subtle chromatic shadings. They distinguished between light,

  clarus , generally mistranslated as white, the colour of life, cleanliness and civilization; and dark, the colour of death, dirt, mourning and savagery.

  Yet purple was colour itself, in that it was the result of artificial dyeing and was produced by a complex technique involving a lot of boiling and stewing. It was what replaced a fabric's natural shade. Purple was produced from seashells such as mussels and whelks, which was quite common in the Mediterranean, although the best ones came from Phoenicia. The important thing about purple was that, whatever its precise colour, it marked out whoever wore it. It had no magical effect, yet it announced clearly that any attack on the person wearing it, be he magistrate or free-born child, was strictly forbidden.

  Like gold, purple signified glamour and wealth and was an emblem of power. Apart from the

  toga praetexta , worn by magistrates and senators, censors wore all-purple togas and triumphant generals purple togas edged with gold. Men in purple stood out in a crowd and attracted attention. Roman glory was expressed in words that literally meant brilliant, clarus , and luminous, illustris . Purple was a flash of glory.

  Chapter 95 (Dress) of The Romans - Their Life and Customs by E. Guhl and W. Koner adds:

  Even boys appeared in the toga, called, owing to the purple edge attached to it (a custom adopted from the Etruscans),

  toga pr æ texta . On completing his sixteenth, afterwards his fifteenth, year ( tirocinium fori ) the boy exchanged the toga pr æ texta for the toga virilis , pura , or libera -a white cloak without the purple edge. Roman ladies (for these also wore the toga) abandoned the purple edge on being married. The toga præ texta was the official dress of all magistrates who had a right to the curulean chair and the fasces; the censors, although not entitled to the latter, also wore the toga præ texta. Amongst priests, the Flamen Dialis, the pontifices, the augures, septemviri, quindecimviri, and arvales wore the præ texta, while acting in their official capacity; tribunes and æ diles of the people, quæ stores and other lower magistrates were prohibited from wearing it. The toga picta and the toga palmata were worn by victorious commanders at their triumphs; also (in imperial times) by consuls on entering their office, by the præ tors at the pompa circensis , and by tribunes of the people at the Augustalia. Being originally the festal dress of the Capitoline Jupiter, this toga was also called Capitolina ; it was presented by the senate to foreign potentates. Masinissa, for instance, received a golden crown, the sella curulis , an ivory sceptre, the toga picta , and the tunica palmata .

  Interesting that Russell would choose to dress as a Roman citizen before dying. It was the Romans that executed Christ. I guess if his teachings were similar to current JW teachings, I guess he sort of executed Christ in his own way in forming his religion.
• 

  RR

  Interesting that Russell would choose to dress as a Roman citizen before dying. It was the Romans that executed Christ. I guess if his teachings were similar to current JW teachings, I guess he sort of executed Christ in his own way in forming his religion.

  You guys read toomuch into this stuff!

  RR
• 

  Dan-O

  Brother Sturgeon made a toga, which Brother Russell put on himself. He stood erect

  Is this the basis for the homophobia common among the JWs?
• 

  Farkel

  The symptons of Russell's rather sudden death suggests he was poisoned according to one researcher. Arsenic fits in rather nicely with his symptoms before he died. Fed in slow quantities, it builds up in the system. An autopsy (if anyone can pay for it) of Russell's body would prove or disprove this theory. Anyone have the bucks for that? Now, who had the most to gain with Russell's death should that theory be proven as true? Hint: It's not the nicest member of the Bible Students, I can tell you that! Farkel