yrus ▁told ▁Her acles ▁she ▁would ▁never ▁accept ▁him ▁as ▁her ▁lo ver ▁until ▁he ▁gave ▁her ▁a ▁ro be ▁of ▁that ▁same ▁colour . ▁So ▁Her acles ▁gathered ▁many ▁m ure x ▁shell s , ▁extracted ▁the ▁d ye ▁from ▁them , ▁and ▁dy ed ▁the ▁first ▁gar ment ▁of ▁the ▁colour ▁later ▁called ▁Ty rian ▁pur ple . ▁The ▁m ure x ▁shell ▁appears ▁on ▁the ▁very ▁earliest ▁Ty rian ▁co ins ▁and ▁then ▁re app ears ▁again ▁on ▁co ins ▁in ▁Imperial ▁Roman ▁times . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁sixth ▁century ▁B . C . E . ▁on ward ▁in ▁Cy pr us , ▁where ▁there ▁was ▁strong ▁Pho en ician ▁cultural ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁Mel qu at ▁was ▁often ▁dep icted ▁with ▁Her acles ' ▁traditional ▁symbols ▁of ▁a ▁l ion ▁skin ▁and ▁club , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁unclear ▁how ▁strongly ▁this ▁connection ▁between ▁the ▁figures ▁was ▁throughout ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Pho en ician ▁culture . ▁ ▁Att empt s ▁at ▁a ▁synth esis ▁The ▁pau city ▁of ▁evidence ▁on ▁Mel q art ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁debate ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁cult ▁and ▁his ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁Pho en ician ▁p ant he on . ▁William ▁F . ▁Al br ight ▁suggested ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁god ▁of ▁the ▁under world ▁partly ▁because ▁thr ▁god ▁Mal ku , ▁who ▁may ▁be ▁Mel q art , ▁is ▁sometimes ▁equ ated ▁with ▁the ▁Mes op ot am ian ▁god ▁N erg al , ▁a ▁god