Ancient Roman Objects

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
 
 

rothbard

Aedilis

  • Aedilis

  • Patronus

Location:
London
These are part of an exhibition in which stuff from Pompeii is shown which is usually held in storage.
 
 

rothbard

Aedilis

  • Aedilis

  • Patronus

Location:
London
Bowls with paint pigments, from Pompeii:

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1674985822873.png


This reminded me of the article according to which the ancient Romans didn't "know" the color blue, or distinguish it from green. However the blue pigment in the second picture is clearly visible. This is what the museum says:

1674986256610.png

1674986285889.png
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
This reminded me of the article according to which the ancient Romans didn't "know" the color blue, or distinguish it from green.
I don't know whether that article is right or wrong, but the blue pigment doesn't prove much by itself; it could still be that they would have regarded this blue as just one shade of the "green-blue" color.
 
 

rothbard

Aedilis

  • Aedilis

  • Patronus

Location:
London
I don't know whether that article is right or wrong, but the blue pigment doesn't prove much by itself; it could still be that they would have regarded this blue as just one shade of the "green-blue" color.
I was thinking of that, however according to the description, green pigment was used as well. I am not sure how accurate that is.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
I was thinking of that, however according to the description, green pigment was used as well. I am not sure how accurate that is.
Yes but, again, it could be that the green and blue pigments were shades of the same for them.

Caeruleus is how we usually translate "blue" (and it's the best word for it that I know of) but if you look at the definition, it's ambiguous; it ranges from "dark" to "blue" to "green": https://alatius.com/ls/index.php?met=up&ord=caeruleus

I was going to say that viridis seemed to have been unambiguoulsy "green", but Lewis & Short actually claims it could also mean "bluish green"... I don't know if it's right, but that's what it says: https://alatius.com/ls/index.php?met=up&ord=viridis
 
 

rothbard

Aedilis

  • Aedilis

  • Patronus

Location:
London
Young magistrate, from the Horti Liciniani in Rome (late IV or early V century). This indicates that the toga was still worn at the time, at least on special occasions. I wonder what he holds in his hand.

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1674987913644.png
 
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