Byzantium
A dark purple shade named in the 20th century, not to be confused with Tyrian purple
Byzantium is a deep, dark purple colour first named in English in 1926. Despite its name, it is not the same as Tyrian purple, the ancient dye linked to Roman and Byzantine emperors, which is more red and closer to crimson.
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- Byzantium is a dark purple shade, not a historical dye
- First recorded as a colour name in English in 1926
- Not to be confused with Tyrian purple, which is more red
What colour is Byzantium?
Byzantium is a dark shade of purple, notable for its deep and subdued appearance. It stands apart from other purples by its particular darkness and lack of strong red or blue overtones. The colour is not linked to any natural dye or pigment and is defined as a modern colour value. Its name may suggest a historical link, but its tone is distinct from the purples used in antiquity.
Where does Byzantium come from?
The name Byzantium was first used for this colour in English in 1926. Although the word refers to the ancient city and empire, the colour itself is a modern creation and does not come from any historical dye or pigment. The name may evoke the grandeur of the Byzantine Empire, but the shade is not related to the famous Tyrian purple worn by emperors, which was redder and closer to crimson.
How Byzantium is defined
Byzantium is a colour value rather than a pigment or dye, so it is created by mixing paints, inks, or digital colours to match its defined shade. It is not made from a specific material or chemical compound.
Purple around the world
What the purple and violet family means from country to country.
In Holy Week, members of religious brotherhoods walk in procession in robes and pointed hoods, many of them purple, the colour of penance. A purple band also marked the flag of the Second Republic.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestSource: Holy Week in SpainSuffragettes campaigning for women's votes wore purple, white and green: purple for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
Politics and protestCourageSource: SuffragetteA child born to a reigning Byzantine emperor was called porphyrogennetos, born in the purple. The birth took place in a palace room lined with purple stone.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Born in the purpleIn the elections of 2005, voters dipped a finger in purple ink to prevent double voting. The stained finger, held up for cameras, became a sign of the vote.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Election inkPurple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Twelve Level Cap and Rank SystemThe Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon made Tyrian purple from sea snails. The dye was so costly that it became the colour of kings and Roman emperors.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Tyrian purpleShades and relatives of Byzantium
Related shades include Byzantine, which is a medium purple with a magenta tone, first named in English in 1924. There is also a darker variant called dark Byzantium. These shades are sometimes confused with Tyrian purple, but Tyrian purple is more red and closer to crimson.
Colours that go with Byzantium
Harmonies are worked out from the value #702963. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Byzantium
What colour is Byzantium?
Byzantium is a deep, dark shade of purple. It is defined as a modern colour value and is not linked to any natural dye or pigment.
Where does the name Byzantium come from?
The name refers to the ancient city and empire of Byzantium, but the colour itself was first named in English in 1926 and is not connected to historical dyes.
Is Byzantium the same as Tyrian purple?
No, Byzantium is a modern dark purple, while Tyrian purple was a reddish, crimson-like dye used by Roman and Byzantine emperors.
Are there other colours related to Byzantium?
Yes, related shades include Byzantine, a medium purple with magenta tones, and dark Byzantium, a deeper variant.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Byzantium (color)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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