Καταξαίνειν εἰς φοινικίδα

Aristophanes [writes]: "'why do we townsmen spare the stones, not to card this man into purple?' 'How some black firebrand has boiled over on you!'"¹ Meaning not to make him bloody with stones, as [if] to make his body purple. He used [the verb] katacai/nein ["to card"] as [if] in reference to wool. Therefore also he said foiniki/da ["purple"] as [if] in reference to a cloak. The Lacedaemonians used to use a purple [cloak] when facing their enemies, on the one hand because [of] the manliness of the color, and on the other hand because the bloodiness of the color is accustomed to disregard the flowing of blood. So the phrase e)n foiniki/di ["in a purple cloak"], meaning in the rank of enemies, would likely signify garments, since having been made purple [means] having been made bloody. And a burning coal [is called] quma/lwy.²