It was the Censor’s job to determine which Senators were still worthy of office and who should and should not be on the roster of Rome’s leading citizens. The togas of the Senators were trimmed in purple and a completely purple toga was worn by the person occupying the powerful office of Censor. Its striking color and resistance to fading made clothing dyed with Tyrian purple highly desirable and the ancient Romans adopted purple as a symbol of imperial authority and status. The color purple has been associated with royalty since ancient times, in large part because the murex shellfish-based Tyrian purple dye (aka Royal purple or Imperial purple), produced by the Phoenician city of Tyre during the Bronze Age, was very expensive to make and thus only the wealthiest classes, including the nobility, could afford it. What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “born to the purple”? Most people will probably think of royalty.
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