"[Tell me] why do we spare the stones, the townsmen,[1] and refrain from carding this man into a purple garment?" -- "Once more what a wonderbrand[2] is inflaming you!" Instead of 'refrain from bloodying him with stones, so as to make his body purple'. And 'to card' is used as in the case of woolens. For this reason he also said "purple garment", as he would in the case of a cloak. Aristotle says that the Lakedaimonians use a purple garment in wars.[3] For one thing because [it enhances?] the manliness of the skin and for another the bloodiness of the color teaches them not to be disturbed by the shedding of blood. Hence 'in the purple garment' instead of 'in the formation' of combatants, they would probably be conspicuous because of what they wear. Since 'to be purpled' is 'to be bloodied'. Also "cards [her] many across the back." Demosthenes [writes this].[4] The "wonderbrand"[5] [is] that which is thoroughly burnt, and the Acharnians [are] charcoal-burners.
Also Josephus [writes]: "depositing your possessions and all your family members in the lodging, confined you, stretching purple garments in front of the doors."[6]