442 PLINY'S NATUEAL HISTOKY. [Book IX. 



(36.) Purples live mostly seven 68 years. Like the murex, 

 they keep themselves in concealment for thirty days, about the 

 time of the rising of the Dog-star; in the spring season they unite 

 in large bodies, and by rubbing against each other, produce a 

 viscous spittle, from which a kind of wax is formed. The 

 murex does the same ; but the purple 69 has that exquisite 

 juice which is so greatly sought after for the purpose of dyeing 

 cloth, situate in the middle of the throat. This secretion 

 consists of a tiny drop contained in a white vein, from which 

 the precious liquid used for dyeing is distilled, being of the 

 tint of a rose somewhat inclining to black. The rest of the 

 body is entirely destitute of this juice. It is a great point to 

 take the fish alive ; for when it dies, it spits out this juice. 

 From the larger ones it is extracted after taking off the shell ; 

 but the small fish are crushed alive, together with the shells, 

 upon which they eject this secretion. 



In Asia the best purple is that of Tyre, in Africa that 

 of Meninx 70 and the parts of GaBtulia that border on the 

 Ocean, and in Europe that of Laconia. It is for this colour 

 that the fasces and the axes 71 of Eome make way in the 

 crowd ; it is this that asserts the majesty of childhood ; 72 it is 

 this that distinguishes the senator 73 from the man of equestrian 

 rank; by persons arrayed in this colour are prayers 74 ad- 



68 Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. v. c. 14, says, " about six." The murex of 

 Pliny is the KrjpvK of Aristotle. 



69 Aristotle says, that the purple consists of three parts, the upper being 

 the TpdyrjXoQ, or neck ; the middle the jjLrjxwv, or poppy; and the lower 

 the TrvBfJLrjv, or trunk ; and that the juice lies between the first and second 

 of these parts, or the throat. This juice, which Pliny calls "flos," 

 " flower," "ros," "dew," and " succus," "juice," is distilled, Cuvier 

 says, not from the fauces of the animal, but from the mantle or mem- 

 branous tissue which lines the shell. 



70 See B. v. c. 7- See also B. vi. c. 36. 



71 "Which preceded the Roman consuls, who were clothed with the toga 

 prsetexta, the colour of which was Syrian purple. 



72 Hardouin seems to think that " maj estate pueritia^" means "children 

 of high birth ;" but it was the fact that all children of free birth wore the 

 praetexta, edged with purple, till they attained puberty. It is much more 

 probable that by these words Pliny means the " majesty of youth," in its 

 simplicity and guileless nature, that commands our veneration and respect. 



73 He means that the purple laticlave or broad hem of the senator's toga 

 distinguished him from the eques, who wore a toga witk an angusticlave, 

 or narrow hem. 



74 From Cicero, Epist. Ad. Attic. B. ii. Ep. 9, we learn that purple 



