hehe, couldnt resist the LS joke, but like you said, back on topic.

ive got a theory about it; i read somewhere Caesar was said to forbid any of his officers wearing a red cloak, and instead they wore purple ones. apparently he reserved the crimson hue for himself as it set him apart from the other officers under his command. maybe the fact that caesar was the hero of the Roman Empire they used him as an example and made red the royal colours, making it the stereotype of Rome itself. probably not true but thats what my first guess was