Tinturae Romanorum: Social and Cultural Constructions of Color-Terms in Roman Literature

Title: Tinturae Romanorum: Social and Cultural Constructions of Color-Terms in Roman Literature
Identifier: d_2009_2013:1087e7ca649e:10882
identifier: 11150
Creator: Goldman, Rachael,
Contributor: Jennifer T. Roberts
Date: 2011
Language: English
Publisher: City University of New York.
Subject: Classical literature | Classical studies | Color | Greek | Roman
Abstract: Literary sources in poetry, prose and inscriptions offer many examples of the use of color-terms in Latin texts, which carry connotations of value, both negative and positive, based on their associations with contemporary social groups. In this study I discuss several themes dealing with color-terms and their use in Latin literature which have not been explored in previous scholarship. I examine the debate on color-terms in Aulus Gellius' Attic Nights 2.26; the Roman dye industry and Roman clothing; class distinctions in Roman society, with particular emphasis on the freedman; color-terms as applied to physiognomic principles in descriptions of people and ethnic groups; and a special category of color-terms which cover multiple colors, such as versicolor and bicolor. By exploring the use of color-terms in these cultural contexts, we may gain a deeper understanding of the Roman mind.
Type: dissertation
Source: 2009_2013.csv
degree: Ph.D.
Program: History

Media: Tinturae Romanorum: Social and Cultural Constructions of Color-Terms in Roman Literature