Anna Of Byzantium

In the Byzantine Empire, the color purple was reserved for clothing and items that belonged to the ruling imperial couple. “Purple” thus came to be shorthand for any and all things imperial, and more specifically, for the sacred right of the imperial family to rule. For example, Anna’s ceremonial last name, “Porphyrogenita” translates literally to “born into purple.” This backstory is emphasized in Anna’s dramatic proclamation, “I am Anna Comnena, and I was born in the purple chamber, where the heirs to the throne of the most powerful empire in the world first see the light” (4). Purple is therefore an integral part of Anna’s imperial identity—a symbol that helps her reinforce her own sense of superiority above all others.

Later, the political importance of this symbolism is highlighted when Dalassene insists that Anna wear purple to a reunion with the emperor. Realizing that Alexios is displeased with Anna wearing the color, the dowager blames an unnamed enslaved person who supposedly wove the garment: “She is not of our race, my son, and does not know the significance we place on imperial purple. I have already had the woman flogged for her mistake” (79). Here, it becomes clear that even for members of the royal family, a misstep in wearing the color can result in violent punishment, and so Dalassene deflects the blame and claims to enact punishment on a low-ranking laborer.