In Ancient Greece, purple became highly prized. This is because it was incredibly difficult to make. In the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre (now located in modern day Lebanon), a technique was developed to create purple dye. It was named for the city and called Tyrian purple.

Betwixt vibrant red and calm blue sits ‘royal’ purple. You may call it mauve or violet, and it may not always be accompanied by a catchy preliminary adjective, but the colour purple was the most sought after in history, and has roots in mythology, piety, art and royalty.

Alas, the fascination with purple has existed for centuries before it filled our musical and literary spaces in the eighties. Purpura, more widely recognized by English and American citizens as purple, was incredibly taxing to produce before the creation of chemical dyes.

Tyrian purple dye was first manufactured by the Phoenicians in the 16th century BCE. According to the legend recorded by the Greek scholar Julius Pollux in the 2nd century CE, the dye was discovered by the Phoenician god Melqart while walking along the seashore with his dog and the nymph Tyros.

The reason for purple’s regal reputation comes down to a simple case of supply and demand. For centuries, the purple dye trade was centered in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre in modern day...