Imperial Purple

by Gillian Bradshaw

Set in early Christian times, the tale of the weaver Demetrias portrays her entrapment in a treasonous plot against the Byzantine emperor and her fight to protect her family and self as the battle for Constantinople rages

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy

324 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Born in Arlington, Virgina, Gillian Bradshaw grew up in Washington, Santiago, Chile and Michigan. She is a Classics graduate from Newnham College, Cambridge, and published her first novel, Hawk of May, just before her final term. A highly acclaimed historical novelist, Gillian Bradshaw has won the Hopwood Award for Fiction, among other prizes. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and their four children.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Set in the 5th Century when the Roman Empire extended into Asia. Bradshaw is known for her historical research but there is apparently not a lot of historical sources for this period of the Roman Eastern empire. Yet she has woven a vivid tale of Demetrias & her husband Symeon, both state slaves, and their unintentional involvement in a plot to overthrow Theodosius II. The novel describes both a slice of life of the populous and political intrigue at the highest levels. I enjoyed the story but some of the plot seemed too unbelievable or maybe inconsistent is the better word, for the main characters . Some of the characters were more fleshed out than others, in fact one of the pivotal supporting characters, the Hun Chelchal, was more solid than Symeon. I found the real life character of Pulcheria, the sister of Theodosius, fascinating and hope to find something else to read about her.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as good as 'Beacon At Alexandria' but pretty darned good. Bradshaw has a talent for taking her readers to the obscure late Roman-early Byzantine period and creating plausible characters and settings. Demetrias, a weaver in Tyre becomes enmeshed in intrigues that take place at the highest levels of the Eastern Empire. Some of the characters are familiar to readers of Gibbon but Ms. Bradshaw adds a human dimension that gives life to distant and vague historical figures. This is one of those books that you're really sorry to have to finish.

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third time through. Among Bradshaw's better books. 5th century eastern Mediterranean history with enjoyable characters. Would include in high school library collection.

If, like mysteries, historical fiction could be slotted on a continuum ranging from cozy to noir, Bradshaw's relatively short novels would rest near the cozy end. Good re-reads for periods of low energy and limited reading time.

[Ayde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperial Purple tells the story of a slave, Demetria, and her husband who find themselves involved in an intrigue to depose emperor Theodosius. The novel combines political intrigue with the romantic story of the slaves.

Demetria is a silk weaver whose skill is required to weave a fine cloak, which will serve as the means to treason. Her work must be kept secret but is unable to keep it from her husband, Symeon.

The novel includes a great deal of background of common people around the period 450 AD in Tyre and Constantinople. At the same time, you get a highly entertaining tale.

Demetria was particularly interesting - rising above the usual depiction of the oppressed woman. The historical characters, if not accurate, certainly seems that way.

Pulcheria, a real character, was depicted in a way that makes you understand why was she highly regarded.

One of my favorites lines was: "You would find, old friend, that it's easier to make than unmake an emperor." (Page 201)

The plot has no historical basis — it’s totally invented — but the tale is sincerely worth one’s time.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman who weaves cloth and dyes it is ordered to make a new imperial robe. Only the wealthiest people can afford purple as it is made from the shells of the tiny murex sea snail. But she realises that this robe is for someone other than the current ruler, because it is the wrong height. She is terrified to lose her life if she speaks, but she might be killed anyway for aiding a revolution and coup....
An unusual and lively tale, this is very enjoyable and sheds a light on ancient history.

[Ale Sandoval Tress]

https://bibliobulimica.wordpress.com/...

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

In many ways I really liked this book; firstly Gillian Bradshaw deserves so much credit for shining a light on an obscure corner of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 450s AD, rather than writing yet another novel about Rome in the Late Republic. And it's clear that she really understands Roman lifestyles and attitudes -- it's there in everything from people reading aloud, to Flavius Marcianus not valuing his daughter as much as his dead son, to the increasing intermingling with Huns and Goths, to Demetrias and Symeon not seeing anything odd or immoral about purchasing a slave even though they're slaves themselves. Plus her characters are realised vividly and with sympathy - Aelia Pulcheria is a badass, Meli is adorable, Marcianus and Asper are remarkably decent and honourable, and even the less obviously likeable ones, such as the thoughtless, arrogant procurator Marcus Acilius Heraclax, or the emperor's spy Eulogios, feel like real, complex people.

Appropriately enough for a book called The Colour of Power, she's also got an excellent grasp of how being a slave, even if it's state slavery which is freer and more comfortable, more like a job, than household slavery, shapes and defines your mindset, and how even the slightest hint of favour can affect how others relate to you.

So then why the two stars? Firstly, I don't get the impression Bradshaw, a fundamentally kind writer who doesn't generally let anything too horrible happen to her characters, likes political scheming or writing about it. The conspiracy to set Nomos on the throne is wrapped up amazingly quickly and simply. But more importantly, I simply didn't find Demetrias believable. At the start of the book she seems to be completely lacking in any sense of self or ability to act on her own desires -- she submits to her marriage and children, and doesn't try to make anything of it, to forge any sort of relationship with her husband. Certainly being a slave would erode your will, and she was raped by a procurator when she was a young girl, plus her grandmother was cold and disdainful, but her mother is affectionate and the people around her have some self-esteem despite being slaves. It doesn't make any logical sense that she would simply miserably endure her life rather than trying to find any happiness in it at all. I think Bradshaw deliberately starts her from a low base so that throughout the book she can realise how much she actually loves her husband and son, and learn to fight for what she wants, but it's so low it's not realistic.

While this particular book didn't really click with me, I'll definitely read Bradshaw's others -- firstly she's one of the few who like exploring less famous parts of the Roman Empire, and secondly her strengths in worldbuilding and characterisation are such that I really look forward to finding the one which is going to work for me. The Beacon at Alexandria, in particular, is one that I've heard really good things about, and am excited to start.

[Theresa G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly original feel-good adventure. The main characters and much of the supporting cast are convenient paragons of kindness and devotion, and the prose, complete with constant italic thoughts, is barely passable. But the plot is intricate, believable, and well-paced, and succeeds in plausibility keeping its humble protagonists at the center of the action despite the high stakes. It largely succeeds in using that almost unheard-of protagonist, the lower-class wife and mother, and plays its rare and colorful settings to full advantage. Definitely unique and entertaining enough to be worth a read.

[Joanne Renaud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Gillian Bradshaw is a trip to read, complete with rampant head-hopping, bizarre plot twists and the often dubious romantic lead. The strengths are the rich, immersive and unusual settings-- in this case, the 5th century Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire-- and the historical characters, like the canny spinster empress Pulcheria or the beautiful but scheming eunuch Chrysaphios. It's heady stuff, and I did enjoy my reread this. This was one of my favorite books in high school. But. But...

The hero and the heroine are not great. Demetrias, the silk weaver who gets entangled with webs of intrigue and cabals aplenty, is fine as the heroine. She's plucky and fierce and thinks on her feet. But she's saddled with this useless husband who own-goals himself throughout the entire story. Worse-- he endangers their toddler son through his terrible decision making. And Demetrias never loses his temper with him, and he never even thinks to apologize. She had her own doubts about the relationship at the beginning of the story, but we are assured it was just her. Pulcheria even calls him out for his stupidity-- but nope, Pulcheria is wrong, hubby is really a great guy with lots of sterling qualities!

And in the end, Demetrias realizes she is wrong, so wrong, at feeling dissatisfied with her husband. And that changing anything about their relationship is wrong (she even compares it to changing the pattern on a cloak halfway through). And what she really needs is to settle. In the end, she's all, "I ignored him before, but now I need to open up!" Amazing. I love it when all the work of a relationship falls upon the woman.

At times this book reminds me of a Reddit thread where highly competent women do their best to justify their relationships to mediocre failsons, and eh.... nah. No thanks.

To be fair, I did enjoy it a great deal even though the love story, for the lack of a better word, sucks. At times this reminded me of a dry run of Render unto Caesar, which has all the political intrigue and a much more satisfying romance between equals.

This book is strictly a 2.5 star book, because it is a fun read. I love Pulcheria so much! And the setting was extremely cool. But I really wish the husband took a long walk off a short pier, and Demetrias ended up with Chelchal the Hun.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the fifth century Eastern Roman Empire, Imperial Purple is the story of Demetrias, a weaver in a state factory, and her husband Symeon who are inadvertently caught up in a plot to overthrow the emperor Theodosius II .

As ever with Gillian Bradshaw, the research is meticulous and the period is convincingly evoked. But what makes this book special is the fact that though the backdrop is high politics, the story is primarily about domestic life. The central characters are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events and the focus is on their struggle to remain a family unit despite the enormous pressures that seem determined to destroy them.

A richly detailed setting that makes the ancient world feel as real and immediate as the street outside your front door, strong, believable characters, and a compelling emotional narrative make this a really enjoyable read.

[Libby Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread for me, but I think I read this the first time over 15 years ago. I always enjoy Gillian Bradshaw's historical fiction. She covers time periods and places that I am not familiar with, so I enjoy the glimpse into new cultures and time periods. This story deals with 5th century Greece and Rome with a small look at the Huns. Good story, characters, and great historical detail.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Gillian Bradshaw! This book had endearing and clever characters and a good intrigue that just kept twisting!

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing historical fiction set in a not-so-well-documented history of the fifth-century Eastern Roman Empire. The plot itself is very much alluring but the execution of the storyline is rather dull for me. That’s because despite being thrown into the most interesting situation, the two main protagonists seldom took the good initiative but always complained that the world didn’t go their way. It’s the political intrigue of the supporting characters that drew me more to finish Imperial Purple.

Demetrias and Symeon, both state slaves of East Rome, seem to lead a normal life in Tyre as a weaver and purple-fisher. Demetrias was particularly skilled, able to weave beautiful colours into cloaks, tapestry, and paludamentum (capes reserved for Roman emperors). When she was commissioned to make a special paludamentum, she realized that she unwittingly became part of a high treason concocted by those who wanted to depose Theodosius II. From then on, both the fate of Demetrias and Symeon took a turn for the worse (and more interesting but those two seem unable to see from different perspectives, they always have the mentality of “woe is me”).

Still, what makes me want to keep reading this book is because of the intrigue the protagonists find themselves in. Apparently, the reason why many disliked Theodosius II’s reign was because he’s weak-willed and always controlled by others around him. And it just happened that he was a sucker for physically beautiful people and thus easily controlled by them. Chrysaphios, a Persian eunuch who gained considerable power within Theodosius’ court, ousted even Theodosius’ wife, Eudokia from influence. Unfortunately, Chrysaphios wasn’t a military commander and his appeasing policy (prone to give bribes rather than go to war) made East Rome weak in the eyes of the enemies of Rome. Pulcheria, Aspar, Marcianus, and Nomos (practically everyone) all vie to remove Chrysaphios from power.

“Chrysaphios sat alone in his office, looking at the blurred reflection of his face in the fine polish of his desk top. That the emperor was susceptible to beauty had always been to his advantage. It gave an edge of warmth to Theodosius’ feelings for him, but did not offend that delicate imperial conscience. And he had danced the dance step-perfect too, setting that other clever and beautiful woman, Eudokia, against the unbeautiful but powerful Pulcheria — and then contriving Eudokia’s disgrace, so that he ruled Theodosius and the empire alone. He had what he had dreamed of ever since he was nine years old, when the Persian master he thought had loved him, who had slept with him since he was seven, who had had him castrated “to keep you beautiful,” had suddenly sold him to the Romans. He had sworn then that never again would anyone betray him. He would have power and betray them first.” ~Chapter VI.

The storyline lacks punch but the setting and timeline intrigued me more. Unfortunately, there are scarce resources regarding Chrysaphios’ life out there (he’s by far the most interesting character in this book). Overall, not a bad book and a window for me to learn more about the Byzantine empire.

[Ozymandias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: 6 (first half is an easy 10 but second half is a contrived 2)
Characters: 6 (well-developed motivations but behavior sometimes forced)
Accuracy: 8 (captures the period well but doesn’t obey its own rules)

I love books that take place in obscure and little-seen periods of history (especially when it’s my obscure and little-seen period) and this book has a unique enough plot to be a real draw. Basically, an imperial slave in a Tyrian weaving factory is commissioned to make a purple cloak. Purple is the imperial color, so only emperors can wear it, but the size and style is wrong for the current emperor. Which means that she’s being ordered to commit treason, and as a slave there’s nobody she can turn to to get out of it. The basic choices are to accuse her boss of treason and have him execute her, or to do it anyway and face death by slow torture if he’s caught. It’s a terrible example of the horrors that come from being an unfree person in a society as unequal as Rome was. As such the book provides a compelling look into what life in a Roman city (bonus points for not even being Rome!) was like for those not of the elite classes. In this respect the book is well researched and takes us somewhere new. The complexity of the free/unfree relationship in Roman society is rarely explored outside of stories about Spartacus, which is basically its own subgenre about a very atypical moment in Roman history. This book tries and often succeeds at bringing the complexities of what life meant for a slave. And it does so in 5th century Tyre, a time when the western empire is collapsing and the East is under the rule of various regents for the weak emperor Theodosius II.

The slave POV is probably the best thing about this novel. What does it matter to a slave (even a state slave) if one emperor kills another? Neither one will give a moment’s thought to their plight. It is, in fact, far safer to let the emperor die than stick out their necks for the conspirators to chop off. It’s not just the emperors, no nobles can really be trusted. Why should they care about a bunch of insignificant slaves? This is one of the main themes of the book, and it’s a powerful one. And yet as time goes by, this stark truth becomes fuzzier. Some of it’s a good fuzzy. As imperial slaves, they are substantially better off than private slaves and in many ways behave as regular citizens. They also have many opportunities to profit from their own labor and are in some ways better off than their poor yet free neighbors. So how clear and important is the distinction between free and unfree persons in the end? But some of it is a very bad fuzzy indeed since it dilutes the main point. See, some nobles do care, implausible as that might actually be, and our leads are constantly relying on their selfless aid to survive. Which is ruinous to the whole theme. The focus gradually shifts from being ‘the system is rigged against us since we are viewed as nothing but disposable objects’ to ‘good nobles do care about us but they just have bigger issues to deal with for the greater security of the empire.’ By the end, the masters have actually become more sympathetic than the slaves, who seem to have no sense of gratitude and an utterly ridiculous notion of how much is owed to them.

The real problem with this book though is that there are no consequences. At no point do we genuinely believe that the author would let these characters come to harm. And thus we never really get involved in their artificial lives. This sense of invulnerability is created by the very interesting and complicated dangers that are otherwise a boon to the book. Slaves are property, to be used as desired. And yet an immoral agent of the empire who (legally) stole an imperial slavegirl to punish her leaves her essentially unmolested with no rape (which nothing done to a slave could legally count as since they had no right to their own bodies) or worse. It’s not that I want the book to deal with rape, but this is the world as it existed and the author makes clear that she’s following those rules. In fact, the lead character’s backstory involves just such a rape, but it happened in the distant past and therefore isn’t something we have to witness. To come up with convoluted (or often no) reasons to justify her survival untouched in the present is a cheat, and it’s so obviously a cheat that it makes the whole tale feel phony. Actions have terrible consequences in this setting, and the fact that they all get off scot-free despite behaving rashly (to put it mildly) is a bad thing. There are a number of other examples. Survival’s not even a matter of stupendously implausible luck like in so many adventure novels. The sole reason these characters don’t die horribly is because the bad guys who gain control over them just don’t feel like doing the horrible things to them that they’ve done to literally everyone else. I’m not a real fan of the George R.R. Martin approach where any character can die a horrible death at any moment, but there needs to be some sense of genuine peril for us to actually engage with the conflict. Again, I’m not so bloodthirsty as to really want to see main characters get raped or murdered, but if you’re going to place them in such situations then you damn well need to be honest to them. Otherwise make the story about something else.

And what this lack of consequences ultimately leads to is a string of stupid decisions. After all, if nothing you do can kill you then why not just throw your arms in the air and drag your five-year-old son directly into the villains’ lair while shouting very loudly that they’re bad men? The kid’s basically invulnerable, so what’s the harm? And once people start behaving like this all the carefully developed realism of the setting just gets thrown out the window. I really loved the first half of this novel, where we saw a different type of story in a different setting to your traditional Roman tale. The intimate small-scale setting was a welcome change, and the character drama felt heartfelt enough to carry the plot. The story could probably have stayed there and been the better for it. But instead it felt the need to make the tale an empire-wide quest, with detailed sections at the very peak of Roman government. And the story’s worse off for it. This novel has a unique premise. The effort to turn it into a standard ‘nobles plotting to control the government for the good of all’ epic is what tears it down.

I really did enjoy the first half of this book, enough so that I can forgive many elements of the second half. The book does provide enough unique elements to be worth reading. I just wish that it had had the courage to stick to those elements rather than try to make it a more traditional swashbuckling adventure full of high level backroom politics.

[Evan Þ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the fifth-century Eastern Roman Empire, a Tyrian weaver is ordered to produce, in secret, a purple imperial cloak for a conspiracy to seize the throne. She's terrified of treason, but thinks it best to quietly comply and hope to pass unnoticed. But her husband thinks it best to report it to an imperial inspector in exchange for his oath of safety. It turns out that's more difficult than either of them thinks, as the story takes a sudden twist and becomes far larger than it seemed.

I really enjoyed this book. Bradshaw portrays the characters very well and multidimensionally - the weaver and her husband foremost, and also everyone they interact with on the quest, from the Emperor's sister to various soldiers. In this way, I think it's the best of her works I've read this year.

[Kathryn McConaughy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still amazed at the historical detail Bradshaw gets into these books. Wow.
The main characters in this book are like real people, and like real people are not always likeable. But they were too interesting for me not to keeping reading.
Symeon, with his pride and his naivete, and Demetrias, with her grim submission and her clever mind, seem like they couldn't be more different; but they are united by their determination. Even the plots of would-be emperors and scheming prefects can't keep them apart.

[Susan Altick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. I'm going to read another one of hers now!

[María Antón Sancho]

Cinca 26/01/21 - 24/02/21

Muy bonito, coge mucho!

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful historical fiction.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demetrias, a skilled silk weaver in Tyre, lives a very simple life until she is caught up in an ambitious political plot and is forced to go along with it in order to protect her life and her young family. She is a state slave of the Roman Empire with little influence. Those in power are easily able to control and manipulate her – until, that is, Demetrias attains a level of power herself that in turn affects them. Bradshaw showcases the intrigues of the Roman court in this novel that is somewhat lacking in suspense, but makes up for it with vivid descriptions of the time period and memorable characters.

Favorite quotes: “Tool I may be, but tools used for dangerous work must be treated with respect; if they turn, they can cut the hand that used them.” – Demetrias

“Power makes you callous. You don’t just agree to pay for what you want; you’re willing to have other people pay, too.” – Demetrias

“The monks are right when they claim that in public life no one can keep free of sin. The world is corrupt, and no one who tries to keep himself sinless can hold power in it. And yet, how can anyone who cares for justice leave all the power to those he knows are wicked, who rule corruptly and inflict ruin and death upon the innocent?” – Marcianus

[Don Maker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fascinating depiction of the Roman Empire as seen from the viewpoint of a peasant family (a weaver and her fisherman husband). The heroine is forced to weave a robe for an emperor, using the purple dye reserved for the royalty, but she knows the robe cannot be meant for the current emperor because the size is not right. Thus we have a glimpse into the technical world of the art of the loom woven into a story of intrigue and suspense that leads to the highest levels of Roman society. I admit I found the "head-hopping" and frequent interior monologues a bit distracting, but overall the writing was very good, and I remained interested in the lives of the protagonists as well as the story.

[Susan Pola Staples · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dimetrias, a skilled weaver and tapestry maker of Byzantine Tyre, is given a task that could have her charged for treason. That task is to create a purple silk palundamentum for the procurator, Marcus Acilius Heraklas. Heraklas plans on giving it to the emperor. The problem the themes he has chosen are pagan, and too long for the current Basilieus, a devote Christian. Dimetrias knows this because she has make purple garments for him.

review later

[scarlettraces · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) Bradshaw pretty much at her best, with smart, resourceful, angry women being awesome in a period of history that no one writes novels set in (I honestly can't think of another, pseduo-historical Arthurian stories excepted). Symeon and Marcianus are smart and resourceful too, but the women are better. Hurrah for second-wave feminism!

[Pancha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a bit more than Beacon at Alexandria. A weaver and her family get caught up in imperial intrigues, giving the reader peek into the halls of power without setting the story there. I also liked all the detail about weaving and dyeing.

[Patrick Bättig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seidenweberin muss purpurnen Mantel weben, der zur Absetzung und Einberufung eines neuen Kaisers dienen soll. Eine Revolution also . Die Seidenweberin und Ihr Mann werden immer tiefer darin verstrickt.

[Emiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A silk weaver is instructed to make a cloak dyed in imperial purple, but with measurements that are not the emperor's.

[Elizabeth]

recommended because has a weaving theme

[Sondra Eklund · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.sonderbooks.com/Fiction/im...

[Little Pieces · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entretenido, personajes interesantes y reales. Pero tampoco mucho más.

[Sidsel Sander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det er sådan en fin historisk roman😊