Coin ofAntiochus III the Great of theSeleucid Empire, shown wearing a diadem, which was a type of headband tied around the head. Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, "of King Antiochus".Gold and silver diadem ofPhilip II of Macedonia. This is one type of diadem used by Macedonian and Hellenistic rulers.
The word derives from theGreek διάδημαdiádēma, "band" or "fillet",[1] from διαδέωdiadéō, "I bind round", or "I fasten".[2] 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 theking 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 metalcrown, generally in a circular or "fillet" shape. For example, the crown worn by QueenJuliana of the Netherlands was a diadem, as was that of abaron. The ancientCelts were believed to have used a thin, semioval gold plate called amind (Old Irish) as a diadem.[3] 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.[4] 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 calledtiara). In some societies, it may be awreath worn around the head. The ancient Persians wore a high and erect royal tiara encircled with a diadem.Hera, queen of theGreek gods, wore a golden crown called the diadem. The Persian, Greek and Macedonian traditions merged in the diadems ofAlexander the Great and his successors in theHellenistic Age.[5] By extension, "diadem" can be used generally for an emblem of regal power or dignity. TheRoman emperor's head regalia worn, from the time ofDiocletian onwards,[citation needed] is described as a diadem in the original sources. It was this object that theFoederatus generalOdoacer returned to EmperorZeno (the emperor of theEastern Roman Empire) after his expulsion of the usurperRomulus Augustus fromRome in 476 AD.
After the death ofAlexander the Great, who used the diadem as part of his royal insignia, the HellenisticDiadochi kings used the diadem to represent their claim to Alexander's legacy. The diadem was then adopted inArsacid Parthia, as well as theSakas andKushans after their subjugation of Diadochi kingdoms. These Middle Iranic dynasties combined the diadem with other forms of royal headgear such as the Parthiantiara, as the diadem become increasingly common among the kings of small vassal states.[8] 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 withGallienus.[8]
Gold diadem. Greek, probably made inAlexandria,Egypt, and belonging to a noblewoman of thePtolemaic dynasty (220–100 BC): the clasp is shaped as a Herakles knot
^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
^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.
^abMatthew P. Canepa (2017).The Two Eyes of the Earth: Art and Ritual of Kingship Between Rome and Sasanian Iran. University of California Press. pp. 196–199.ISBN9780520294837.
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