A diadem is a crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by and others as a badge of Monarch.
Overview
The word derives from the
Ancient Greek διάδημα
diádēma, "band" or "fillet",
[ διάδημα,
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library] from διαδέω
diadéō, "I bind round", or "I fasten".
[ διαδέω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library] 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
monarch 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.
[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.] 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.
[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] 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
Laurel 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.
[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. Vestigia, vol. 7. Munich: Beck.] 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, is described as a diadem in the original sources. It was this object that the
Foederati 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 () wore a headband that is possibly a diadem.
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 Parthian Empire, as well as the Saka and Kushan Empire 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.[ 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.]
Gallery
File:Goldschmuck - Diadem.jpg|Gold diadem. Greek, probably made in Alexandria, Egypt, and belonging to a noblewoman of the Ptolemaic dynasty (220–100 BC): the clasp is shaped as a Herakles knot
File:MET DT9229.jpg|Gold diadem. India, 9th–10th century
File:Crown of Sit-Hathor Yunet (Senusret II's daughter).jpg|The diadem or crown of Princess Sithathoriunet from her tomb. 12th Dynasty Ancient Egypt 19th century BC.
File:17th Dynasty Crown (Nubkheperre Intef).jpg|17th Dynasty diadem crown (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden)
File:MycenaeDiadems.jpg|Ellipse diadem from Mycenae, Greece (16th century BC)
File:Diodotus I of Bactria wearing the diadem.jpg|Diodotus of Bactria wearing the diadema, a white ribbon which was the Hellenistic symbol of kingship
File:Greek - Greek Diadem - Walters 571541.jpg|The centerpiece of this Hellenistic diadem is a Reef knot, known for its apotropaic powers and its status as a symbol of fertility. Walters Art Museum, c. 3rd – 2nd century BC.
File:Greco-Roman - Woman's Head with Diadem - Walters 23241 - Right.jpg|Greco-Roman bust of a woman wearing a diadem (100 BC – 100 AD)
File:Tiberius II.jpg|Imperial diadem as worn by Eastern Christian Roman emperors from the 4th century onward
File:ArdashirIGoldCoinHistoryofIran.jpg|Ardashir I of Sassanian Persia wearing very elaborate diadems
File:03 Yacimiento calcolítico FuenteOlmedo by Ni.jpg|Gold diadem, copper dagger and archery equipment, Bell Beaker culture, Spain, c. 2200 BC
File:Young woman with a diadem from Buenos Aires, Argentina (9338285893).jpg|An Argentine woman with a diadem
See also
External links
