Diadem

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Coin of Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid Empire, shown wearing a diadem, which was a type of headband tied around the head. Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, "of King Antiochus".

File:Silver and gold diadem with Herakles knot Philip II of Macedon 340-300 BCE NAM Aigai.jpg

Gold and silver diadem of Philip II of Macedonia. This is one type of diadem used by Macedonian and Hellenistic rulers.

A diadem is a crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty.

Overview

The word derives from the Greek διάδημα diádēma, "band" or "fillet",<ref>διάδημα, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library</ref> from διαδέω diadéō, "I bind round", or "I fasten".<ref>διαδέω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library</ref> The term originally referred to the embroidered white silk ribbon, ending in a knot and two fringed strips often draped over the shoulders, that surrounded the head of the king to denote his authority. Such ribbons were also used to crown victorious athletes in important sports games in antiquity. It was later applied to a metal crown, generally in a circular or "fillet" shape. For example, the crown worn by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands was a diadem, as was that of a baron. The ancient Celts were believed to have used a thin, semioval gold plate called a mind (Old Irish) as a diadem.<ref>William Dwight Whitney, The Century dictionary; an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language. New York: The Century Company (1889), page 3,772. Google Book Search.</ref> Some of the earliest examples of these types of crowns can be found in ancient Egypt, from the simple fabric type to the more elaborate metallic type, and in the Aegean world.<ref>Revello, Manuela, “The first aegean jewellery (4500-1800 B.C.): a new attempt at gold and silver diadems classification”, in Archaeometallurgy in Europe, International Conference Proceedings, Milan 24-25–26 September 2003, II, 657- 664</ref> A diadem is also a jewelled ornament in the shape of a half crown, worn by women and placed over the forehead (in this sense, also called tiara). In some societies, it may be a wreath worn around the head. The ancient Persians wore a high and erect royal tiara encircled with a diadem. Hera, queen of the Greek gods, wore a golden crown called the diadem. The Persian, Greek and Macedonian traditions merged in the diadems of Alexander the Great and his successors in the Hellenistic Age.<ref>Ritter, Hans-Werner (1965). Diadem und Königsherrschaft. Untersuchungen zu Zeremonien und Rechtsgrundlagen des Herrschaftsantritts bei den Persern, bei Alexander dem Großen und im Hellenismus [Diadem and kingship. Studies on the ceremonies and legal basis of the accession to power among the Persians, Alexander the Great and Hellenism]. Vestigia, vol. 7. Munich: Beck.</ref> By extension, "diadem" can be used generally for an emblem of regal power or dignity. The Roman emperor's head regalia worn, from the time of Diocletian onwards,Template:Citation needed is described as a diadem in the original sources. It was this object that the Foederatus general Odoacer returned to Emperor Zeno (the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire) after his expulsion of the usurper Romulus Augustus from Rome in 476 AD.

History

The "Priest King" statue made by the Indus Valley civilization (Template:Circa) wore a headband that is possibly a diadem.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

After the death of Alexander the Great, who used the diadem as part of his royal insignia, the Hellenistic Diadochi kings used the diadem to represent their claim to Alexander's legacy. The diadem was then adopted in Arsacid Parthia, as well as the Sakas and Kushans after their subjugation of Diadochi kingdoms. These Middle Iranic dynasties combined the diadem with other forms of royal headgear such as the Parthian tiara, as the diadem become increasingly common among the kings of small vassal states.<ref name=canepa/> Under the Sassanid Persians, diadems grew significantly larger, remaining the most important symbol of kingship. The Romans initially avoided the diadem as it was associated with their negative image of Hellenistic and "Oriental" kings, but later emperors gradually adopted it beginning with Gallienus.<ref name=canepa>Template:Cite book</ref>