Colour in Antiquity: Colour Symbolism and its Effect on Society

• Project/Area Number: 25770131
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: European literature
• Research Institution: Kyoto Seika University
• Principal Investigator: SAITO YUKIKO 京都精華大学, 人文学部, 講師 (60411948)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,380,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥780,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: ホメロス叙事詩 / 色彩表現の文学的効果 / シンボル / 『イリアス』 / 「色」の象徴性 / 「色」の社会的役割 / 色、音、動き / 古典における色彩感覚 / ホメロス / 色彩表現 / イメージとシンボル / argos / 色彩と音 / 光と輝き / 色とイメージ / 西洋古典 / 色彩感覚 / 光 / 色 / イメージ / phoinix / ギリシア文学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

My major research interest is the perception of 'Colour’ in antiquity. I investigated its symbolical representations and social roles, focusing particularly on the Homeric epics.
Assembling colour or colour-related terms, I analysed how those colour presentations are arranged and examined how they function in context. Through this process, I have uncovered fresh new angles on the relationship between colour, sound, and movement, which are crucially important in developing my research. As a result, I have clearly established that colour expressions are deliberately chosen in each context as significant indicators, thus doubtlessly the poet intended to create his story as colourfully as possible.
As 'colour' is related to multitudinous areas, considerable potential for this research is to be expected in every possible way. Culturally innovative views have been proposed, which would certainly contribute to the academic community internationally and to our society as well.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Brightness and Movement of Argos in Homer’s Iliad (2016)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Journal Title: Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae Volume: ---
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Inspirational Words (2015)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Journal Title: 文芸学研究 Volume: 19
  • NAID: 40020513102
• [Journal Article] Review - Barker, Elton and Joel Christensen. Homer: a beginner's guide. London: Oneworld Publications, 2013 (2014)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Journal Title: Bryn Mawr Classical Review, USA Volume: 2014.06.13
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] A Bright Lifeforce Image in the Iliad (2014)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Journal Title: 京都精華大学紀要 Volume: 44 Pages: 27-57
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Insights on Brightness in Homer’s Iliad (2016)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: 2015/16 Edinburgh Postgraduate Classics Seminar Series
  • Place of Presentation: University of Edinburgh, UK（エディンバラ大学、英国）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-24
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Some Remarks on Brightness in Homer’s Iliad (2016)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: Liverpool CLAH(Classics and Ancient History) Work-in-Progress seminar
  • Place of Presentation: University of Liverpool, UK（リヴァプール大学、英国）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-17
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Brightness and Movement of Argos in Homer’s Iliad (2015)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: Sapiens Ubique Civis III
  • Place of Presentation: University of Szeged, Hungary（セゲド大学、ハンガリー）
  • Year and Date: 2015-08-27
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ホメロスに見られる色彩世界の一局面―Argosを中心に― (2015)
  • Author(s): 西塔由貴子
  • Organizer: 第66回日本西洋古典学会
  • Place of Presentation: 首都大学東京
  • Year and Date: 2015-06-07
• [Presentation] ホメロスに見られる色彩世界の一局面―Argosを中心に― (2015)
  • Author(s): 西塔由貴子
  • Organizer: 京都大学西洋古典研究会4月定例研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 京都大学
  • Year and Date: 2015-04-25
• [Presentation] A Fast-flash Shining Aspect of Homeric Colour Expressions (2015)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: RICERCHE A CONFRONTO
  • Place of Presentation: University of Bologna, Italy (イタリア、ボローニャ大学)
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-12
• [Presentation] A Luminous World in Antiquity: A Study of ‘Argos’ in Homer’s Iliad (2015)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: ICS Early Career Seminar Spring 2015
  • Place of Presentation: Institute of Classical Studies, University of London, UK (英国ロンドン大学)
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-05
• [Presentation] 「輝く」は「はやい」？――ホメロスに見られる明るい色彩世界の一考察 (2014)
  • Author(s): 西塔由貴子
  • Organizer: 第56回文芸学研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 同志社大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-12-20
• [Presentation] Colour in Homer (2014)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: Beyond exoticism: opening up remote cultures - British Academy Early Career Networking Event
  • Place of Presentation: University of Liverpool, UK (英国リヴァプール大学)
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-08
• [Presentation] What is phoinix?: a study on the transformation of colour in translating myth (2014)
  • Author(s): Yukiko Saito
  • Organizer: 8th London Ancient Science Conference (UCL)
  • Place of Presentation: 英国ロンドン（ロンドン大学）
• [Book] "The Uncertain World of Darkness in the Iliad" by Y. Saito. In Thinking Colors: Perception, Translation and Representation. (2015)
  • Author(s): Edited by V. Bogushevskaya and E. Colla
  • Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing（英国）
• [Book] In Thinking Colors: Perception, Translation and Representation (2015)
  • Author(s): V. Bogushevskaya and E. Colla (Yukiko Saito, "The Uncertain World of Darkness in the Iliad")
  • Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK (英国)
• [Book] Thinking Colors: Perception, Translation and Representation (2014)
  • Author(s): V. Bogushevskaya and E. Colla (Yukiko Saito, "The uncertain world of darkness in the Iliad")
  • Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
• [Remarks] 研究プロジェクト；西洋古典に見る色彩表現 ─「色」の象徴性と社会的役割に関する考察
  • URL: http://www.kyoto-seika.ac.jp/researchlab/?post_type=project&p=864