ancients. They understood it as several colors ranging from dull crimson and magenta to violet-purple. The most expensively dyed cloth was made in Tyre and was more on the order of a dull red. In Sidon, where Murex trunculus was mainly used, the color was closer to our modern idea of purple. The wide range in hues of Tyrian purple was brought about by different strengths of, and varied techniques in making, the dye, including the double-dip system of dibapha in which the first bath consisted of extracts from Thais and the second dip taking place in Murex dye. The type of cloth and weave also produced wide variations.
There is no question that cloth dyed with Tyrian purple was extremely valuable and at times vied in value even with gold. Hence it was reserved for the use of the wealthy and the hangings of temples. The Babylonians are said to have used it for the dress of their idols. A few of our museums possess small pieces of Egyptian mummy wrappings which were dyed with Tyrian purple. However, it is necessary to make a chemical analysis to prove the presence of this dye, for the ancients were able to produce a similar color by double dyeing with indigo and madder.
The Bible makes several references to this valuable purple. Moses used it for the works of the tabernacle, as well as for the clothing of the high priest. Among the presents which the Israelites made to Gideon were purple raiments that belonged to the kings of Midian. Much later, according to Acts 16, verse 14, a seller of purple from Thyatira was converted by St. Paul at Philippi.
Aristotle and Pliny both gave fairly detailed accounts of the industry widespread throughout Asia A4inor. Plutarch records that when Alexander took possession of Susa he found among the treasures of Darius 5000 talents in weight (290,000 pounds) of purple cloth. Athenaeus states that the dye was extensively used as a cosmetic and was applied as a lipstick and rouge in Rome. At the fateful battle of Actium, the ship of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra was distinguished from the rest of the fleet by having sails solidly dyed in Tyrian purple. It is difficult to believe, as many authorities claim, that the Tyrians kept the process a secret even for a short time, for we find that factories existed throughout most areas in the Mediterranean.
In Rome only senators were allowed to wear a broad purple stripe (latus clavus) around the opening of the tunic. Laws were finally introduced by Nero and again by Theodosius (379-395 A.D.) prohibiting the wearing of Tyrian purple except by the Emperor himself. Except for its later use by the Christian church, especially in cardinal cloaks, the crimson color ceased to be worn or manufactured after the fall of the Roman Empire and the conquest of Tyre by the Arabs in 638 A.D. It would scarcely pay to revive the industry except perhaps as a novelty item for tourists. The color is not particularly exciting to the modern eye, and, in addition, it may be synthetically
