gems, color science

Osborne examines the vocabulary and conceptual organization of color among the ancient Greeks, questioning the assumption that Greek color terms correspond directly to modern categories defined principally by hue. He considers literary and philosophical evidence to show that Greek descriptions of color frequently incorporated qualities such as brightness, darkness, brilliance, saturation, texture, and the visual effects of light. Particular attention is given to apparent inconsistencies in the application of Greek color words and to the problems created when they are translated by supposedly equivalent modern color names. Osborne argues that these usages reflect differences in the conceptual classification and aesthetic perception of color rather than a deficiency in Greek color vision, and emphasizes the importance of interpreting ancient color terminology within its own linguistic and cultural context.