MUREX ROCK SHELL. 97 



and for the dress of the high priest. The Baby- 

 lonians arrayed their idols in robes of splendid 

 purple ; and such indeed was the practice of the 

 Pagans in general, many of whom superstitiously 

 believed that this dye had a peculiar virtue, and 

 was capable of appeasing the wrath of their pre- 

 tended gods. 



Purple robes were also characteristic of regal 

 dignity, and by an imperial decree in Rome, 

 they were entirely restricted to the use of the 

 emperor, the penalty of death being inflicted on 

 any who dared to appear in habiliments of this 

 hue. The language of the day shows how ex- 

 clusively this colour is appropriated to the em- 

 perors, for " to assume the purple," signified the 

 being elevated to the Imperial Throne. 



Several different accounts are given of the 

 discovery of this dye ; but they all seem to have 

 originated in the simple fact, that a dog having 

 broken one of the shells, stained his mouth with 

 the colour from the animal, which excited the 

 attention of his owner, and led to an examination 

 of the cause. 



The vast heaps of fragments of shells found 

 about Tarentum, are supposed to be those from 

 which the celebrated dye was extracted, and 

 seem to indicate that place as one where it was 

 prepared ; it has not been ascertained to what 

 species these shells belong. 



