50 COLOUR-SIGHT AND COLOUR-BLINDNESS 



large Liddell and Scott that kuaneos is applied to the deep sea, 

 to the blue corn-flower, blue steel, to lapis lazuli, to the hair of 

 Ulysses, to the swallow and to the clouds — evidently covering a 

 wide range between dark blue and black, 



"Xanthos again is used of ripe corn, chestnut horses, lions, 

 gold, golden hair, blushing, wine— ranging thus from yellow to 

 red. 



"Glaukos, gray, again 's used of the eyes, the olive, the sea, 

 the vine, the beryl and the topaz — ranging from gray to light 

 blue and green. 



"Eruthros, red, ranges from vermilion and scarlet to copper 

 and blood. 



" Porphureos, violet, is used of the sea, wine, rainbow, 

 hair and cheeks, the two latter being post-Homeric. 



" Still I do not think too much should be made of this vague 

 use of epithets by the ancients, or that we should infer they could 

 not distinguish between the difierent colours. The right 

 inference would rather be that they had very few words 

 to express finer shades of colour, and few pigments to act 

 as standard names ; hence their few epithets had to do 

 duty for a variety of things. We, in our day, have seen a 

 variety of new names for colours added to our language, i.e., 

 mauve, magenta, cerise — but I think we should be wrong in 

 saying that our fathers were unable to distinguish these shades 

 from others because they had no name for them. 



" A black fellow would probably be able to see a difference 

 between them all though his vocabulary would not enable him 

 to discrimate between them in speech. 



" These were the feelings which Gladstone's book raised in 

 me on the question. The subject, however, is very interesting 

 and the old man may claim the merit of having started it." 



In the life of Homer, attributed to the Greek historian 

 Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484 b.c), the poet's real name 

 is given as Melesigenes, and it is stated that during his travels 

 he became blind and that the Cumoeans nick-named him 

 "Homeros" — the blind man — literally "one who follows a 

 guide." 



Gladstone, in the magazine article referred to, further 

 says : — " I understand from an able Hebraist that the Old Tes- 

 tament offers much evidence of the imperfect conception of 

 colour in early times." 



