Editing Purple (section)

=== Purple in the Byzantine Empire and Carolingian Europe ===
Through the early Christian era, the rulers of the [[Byzantine Empire]] continued the use of purple as the imperial color, for diplomatic gifts, and even for imperial documents and the pages of the Bible. [[Gospels|Gospel]] [[manuscript]]s were written in gold lettering on [[parchment]] that was colored Tyrian purple.<ref>Varichon, Anne ''Colors: What They Mean and How to Make Them'' New York:2006 Abrams Page 140 – This information is in the caption of a [[color printing|color]] illustration showing an 8th-century manuscript page of the [[Gospel of Luke]] written in gold on Tyrian purple parchment.</ref> Empresses gave birth in the Purple Chamber, and the emperors born there were known as "born to the purple," to separate them from emperors who won or seized the title through political intrigue or military force. Bishops of the Byzantine church wore white robes with stripes of purple, while government officials wore squares of purple fabric to show their rank.

In western Europe, the Emperor [[Charlemagne]] was crowned in 800 wearing a mantle of Tyrian purple, and was buried in 814 in a shroud of the same color, which still exists (see below). However, after the fall of [[Constantinople]] to the [[Ottoman Turks]] in 1453, the color lost its imperial status. The great dye works of Constantinople were destroyed, and gradually [[scarlet (color)|scarlet]], made with dye from the [[cochineal]] insect, became the royal color in Europe.<ref>Anne Varichon (2000), ''Couleurs: pigments et teintures dans les mains des peuples'', p.&nbsp;137–38</ref>
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File:11th century Byzantine griffins.gif|11th-century [[Byzantine]] robe, dyed [[Tyrian purple]] with [[Murex#Human use|murex]] dye. Creatures are [[griffin]]s
File:Karl den store krons av leo III.jpg|A medieval depiction of the coronation of the Emperor [[Charlemagne]] in 800. The bishops and cardinals wear purple, and the Pope wears white.
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