In Early Medieval Europe, to have a book meant you were fantastically wealthy. But to commission a book such as the one featured here meant you were at the pinnacle of society. This manuscript is the _Codex Argenteus_, and it is among the most important human-made objects created in sixth-century Europe. Parchment was expensive and often books could only be afforded by an ecclesiastical institution, but the “Silver Book” surpassed other manuscripts — its lettering was done in actual silver and gold, and its pages were dyed purple, one of the most difficult colors to set. The Codex Argenteus was likely written for the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great, Germanic heir to the cultural legacy of the Roman Empire in the West. It is the oldest source for the Gothic language: the fact that it translates the four Gospels testifies to Europe’s most powerful leaders wanting to promote their identity as Christians. Although the sea creatures used to make the purple dye originally were harvested in the eastern Mediterranean, archaeological research off the coast of Ireland and Scotland shows that some sea snails there also were cultivated for the color purple.
Source(s): The book is at the Uppsala Library of Sweden. Ub.uu.se/about-the-library/exhibitions/codex-argenteus. See also Christina Duffy, “Sea Snails and Purple Parchment,” 16 Feb 2014, British Library, Collection Care Blog.
