A. Ag. 959 πορφύρα

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Paul Derouda
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A. Ag. 959 πορφύρα

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958-960
ἔστιν θάλασσα, τίς δέ νιν κατασβέσει;
τρέφουσα πολλῆς πορφύρας ἰσάργυρον
κηκῖδα παγκαίνιστον, εἱμάτων βαφάς.

'There is the sea - who could ever dry it up? - which grows an ever-renewed ooze of abundant purple, worth it's weight in silver, to dye clothing with.'

πορφύρα means 'purple dye'. I wonder whether there's some sort of play with the word πορφύρεος, common at least in Homer, which refers to the agitated sea.

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