The color Byzantium is a particular dark tone of

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...

. It originates in modern times, and, despite its name, it should not be confused with

Tyrian purple Tyrian purple ( grc, πορφύρα ''porphúra''; la, purpura), also known as Phoenician red, Phoenician purple, royal purple, imperial purple, or imperial dye, is a reddish-purple natural dye. The name Tyrian refers to Tyre, Lebanon. It is ...

( hue rendering), the color historically used by

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

and

Byzantine emperors This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...

. The latter, often also referred to as "Tyrian red", is more reddish in hue, and is in fact often depicted as closer to

crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...

than purple. The first recorded use of ''byzantium'' as a color name in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

was in 1926.

Variations of byzantium

Byzantine

The color Byzantine is displayed at right. The color Byzantine is a rich tone of medium purple toned toward

magenta Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish-red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blue. I ...

. The first recorded use of ''byzantine'' as a color name in

was in 1924.Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 191; Color Sample of Byzantine: Page 125 Plate 51 Color Sample K8 Note: This color sample matches the color shown above as "byzantine".

Dark byzantium

The color dark Byzantium is displayed at right.

Variations of byzantium

Byzantine

Dark byzantium

References

See also