Purpura, purpuræ, f. g. pen. cor. Plin. Purple, whiche is a shell fishe whereof purple colour commeth: also purple colour or a purple garment.Ardens purpura.Iuuen.Shining or bright purple: scarlet.Ignea.Val. Flac.Picta.Virg. Violacea. Plin. Vsque ad ralos demissa purpura. Ci. A long purple garment downe to the foote.Illius è roseo flammatur purpura vultu.Stat.Qui fulgent purpura.Cic. Purpura pro magistratibus. Plin. The dignitie of a magistrate or officer.Regum purpura.Virg.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
purpŭra, ae, f. [porfu/ra]. I.Lit., the purple-fish (cf.: bucinum, murex, ostrum), Plin. 9, 36, 60, 125 sq.—II.Transf., purple color, purple, Plin. 9, 37, 61, 130: violae sublucet purpura nigrae, Verg. G. 4, 274: certantem uvam purpurae, Hor. Epod. 2, 20; Dig. 32, 68 fin.; also, a spurious purple color, prepared from berries (cf. Plin. 9, 41, 65, 140), Plin. 16, 18, 31, 77.—Like aurum, gemmae, etc., to designate any valuable object, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 128; Lucr. 5, 1423; Hor. C. 2, 16, 7: purpuram marinam, Vulg. 1 Macc. 4, 23.—B.The purple, i. e. purple cloth, a purple garment: purpura plebeia ac paene fusca, Cic. Sest. 8, 19: usque ad talos demissa purpura, i. e. the praetexta, id. Clu. 40, 111; Quint. 1, 2, 6: lectus eburneus, auro ac purpurā stratus, Suet. Caes. 84.—Esp., of the purple garments worn by kings and magistrates: purpura Pompeium summi velabit honoris, Ov. P. 4, 4, 25: regum, Verg. G. 2, 495.—Cf. in plur.: purpurae Laconicae, Hor. C. 2, 18, 8; Quint. 8, 5, 28.—Hence, 2.Transf., a lofty station, high dignity: omnis Latio quae servit purpura ferro, i. e.
all kings
, Luc. 7, 228: purpuram sumere, i. e.
the sovereignty
, Eutr. 9, 8; Capitol. Max. 14: adorare purpuram, i. e.