Question on Roman colors--no not the Tunic War

[QFirmus]

Does anyone know a source for Roman colors? The range, how red is red, etc? I imagine that many of our modern colors are too sharp to produce in anceint times, or at least too costly in large numbers. I would figure as well that only earth tones generally...but that is not research just specualtion. The only site I have found discussed the Latin names for colors, not what they were able to produce, the other source described the fulling process, but again no help.

Thanks in advance,

[Caius Fabius]

Ovid goes into great detail about the colors worn by men and women in early 1st century Rome, all the colors of the rainbow, the sunrise, the sunset, the ... you get the picture. Read his stuff about women in the theater, or what they wear to attract a lover..... very detailed and shows a wide range of pastels and bright colors. Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC - 18 AD)

[QFirmus]

Thank you kindly,

In the short week I have been back at RAT, my library has almost doubled...ah research, might as well go and get my Masters Degree, but is one advanced degree really ever enough???

Seriously though thank you,

BTW I really was impressed with your posts on names and naming practices, made me realize ow much more there is to know!

[Carlton Bach]

Well, if we are talking about cloth dyes the issue is not as much what was possible almost every conceivable hue can be created with basic natural dyes - but what was affordable and practical - many bright colours are prone to bleed or bleach, and they are often rare and expensive while muted earth tones are common and consequently cheap.

Depending on what languages you can read, I recommend:

A.T.Croom: Roman Clothing and Fashion, Tempus, Stroud 2002 as an introduction

M. Pausch: Die römische Tunika, Wißner Verlag, 2003, mostly for its bibliography and discussion of terminology

J-L. sebasta / L. Bonfante (eds): The World of Roman Costume, University of Wisconsin Press, 1995, especially for its bibliography and glossary

U. Scharf: Die Straßenkleidung der römischen frau, Peter Lang Verlag, Frankfurt 1994, a useful, if limited, discussion of terminology and source collection

H. Schweppe: Lexikon der Naturfarbstoffe, Nikol Verlagsgesellschaft, Hamburg 1993, for technical questions (an overview of the history and chemistry of natural dyes, including extensive colour charts of dye experiments with various mordants in various fibers)

And, of course, any good pblication of surviving Roman pictorial art that gives you an impression of what people considered either desireable or normal. The artist's palette has almost aways been more versatile than the dyer's vat.

[QFirmus]

Again thanks, books noted.

[richsc]

Certainly look at books on Pompeii to see what colors Romans are depicted as wearing. It's a rainbow of colors. You could also pick up a natural dyers book, and see what sorts of natural dyes are native to Europe and the Med. Madder and indigo are two cheap and common dyes, but there are so many more, and the Romans went to all lengths to get unusual colors. Look at the royal purple extracted drop by drop from the murex, for example.