To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But actually the umbrella was not invented (发明) as protection against rain. It was first used as a shade against the sun.
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient (古老的) times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, way back in the eleventh century BC.
We know that the umbrella was also used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use; it became a symbol (象征) of honor and power. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royal (皇室的) people or by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrellas as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the 16th century. And again it became a symbol of power.
Umbrellas have not changed much in style (风格) during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made in a variety of colors. According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented ______.