Geographical Distribution of the Shell-Purple Industry. 7 



liquid of the Buccininn and one hundred pounds of that 

 of the Purpiira^ 



The best purple was stated by the ancients to be 

 exceedingly durable ; and when Alexander took posses- 

 sion of Susa, he found among the treasures of Darius, 5,000 

 talents in weight of purple cloth, from Hermione in the 

 Peloponnesus, which had been laid up there for 180 years, 

 and yet retained all its freshness and brilliance of colour. 1 - 



The purple-bordered prretextae of Servius Tullius, 

 with which the statue of Fortune dedicated by him, was 

 covered, lasted until the death of Sejanus ; and it is a 

 remarkable fact, that, during a period of 560 years, they 

 had never changed colour. 



The real Tyrian purple and purple-stuffs were essen- 

 tially articles of luxury, varying in price according to 

 times and quality. 



They were always costly and vied in value even with 

 gold itself. Consequently we find them reserved for the 

 hangings of temples, or employed for the robes of priests 

 and kings. Moses, it is recorded, used purple stuffs for 

 the works of the tabernacle, as well as for the habits of 

 the high priest; and among the presents which the 

 Israelites made to Gideon the Scriptures mention purple 

 raiment that belonged to the kings of Midian. 14 The 

 Babylonians are said to have devoted this purple to the 

 dress of their idols, and Tertullian speaks of its use among 

 the ancient kings of Egypt and Babylonia. 15 It was con- 

 sidered a noble and sacred colour by the ancients and 

 emblematic of the power of the gods, an idea which is 

 explained by Besnier by the resemblance of the purple to 



1 ' Mary Roberts, "A Popular History of the Mollusca," 1851, p. I2O. 



1 a Plutarch, Alex., p. 36. 



1 n Pliny, " N. H./' viii., ch. 74. 



14 "Judges,'' 8, 26. 



1 ' Tertull, DC idol, p. iS. 



