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Snails, Ships, and Caesars: Why Purple Is the Color of Royalty

The slimy origin of the color preferred by royalty is revealed.
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Snails, Ships, and Caesars: Why Purple Is the Color of Royalty
A Byzantine mosaic of Constantine the Great and Emperor Justinian I presenting Constantinople and St. Sophia Basilica to the Virgin Mary (holding the Christ Child). All three figures are adorned with Tyrian purple robes. Faraways/Shutterstock
Walker Larson
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The ancient empire of the seafaring Phoenicians was built on two things: secrecy and snails.

Walker Larson
Walker Larson
Author
Prior to becoming a freelance journalist and culture writer, Walker Larson taught literature and history at a private academy in Wisconsin, where he resides with his wife and daughter. He holds a master's in English literature and language, and his writing has appeared in The Hemingway Review, Intellectual Takeout, and his Substack, The Hazelnut. He is also the author of two novels, "Hologram" and "Song of Spheres."