[227] obscurata ferrugine Hibera: cf. Verg. A. 9.582 “ferrugine clarus Hibera” ; Verg. G. 1.467 “caput obscura ferragine texit” ; Ov. Met. 5.404 “obscura tinctas ferrugine habenas” . The dye was apparently produced from a variety of ochre, and its hue is described by Pl. Mil. 1181 “palliolum habea: ferrugineum (nam is colos thalasicust)” , and by Servius on Verg. ll. cc. vicinus purpurae subnigrae; purpura nigrior. It was, therefore, a sort of dull, dark violet.
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