By Marcus Aurelius
Don't be dyed purple.
— Marcus Aurelius
Stay humble. Don’t let accolades go to your head.
In Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar wore a purple toga, and the emperors after him, including Marcus Aurelius, adopted it as their ceremonial dress.
In ancient Rome, purple was the color of royalty, a designator of status. And while purple is flashy and pretty, it was more important at the time that purple was expensive. Purple was expensive, because purple dye came from snails.
The color became so identified with emperors that “purple” became a way to describe the position – a heir of the emperor was said to be “born in the purple”, in the same was as we might say “born with a silver spoon in their mouth”.
By warning readers about being “dyed in purple” Marcus Aurelius is describing the risk that position and power corrupts leaders and makes them forget their values.
Beware of becoming Caesarified, dyed in purple. It does happen. Keep yourself simple, good, guileless, dignified, unpretentious, devoted to justice, pious, kind, affectionate to others and resolute in carrying out your proper tasks.
The Meditations, Book Six