Tainia (costume)

In ancient Greek costume, a tainia (Ancient Greek: ταινία; pl: ταινίαι or Latin: taenia; pl: taeniae) was a headband, ribbon, or fillet.

This article is about a ribbon worn in the hair. For an element of Doric architecture, see Taenia (architecture). For other uses, see Taenia (disambiguation).
Coin of Perseus of Macedon wearing a "taenia" or "diadema" headband
A Pompeian woman wearing a taenia girdle

The tainia headband was worn with the traditional ancient Greek costume. The headbands were worn at Greek festivals.[1] The gods also bound their heads with tainiai.[2] Furthermore, cult images,[3] trees,[4] urns, monuments, animal sacrifices and the deceased[5] had tainiai wound around them. They were later adopted by the Romans.[6] A similar type of headband was the diadema, used as a symbol for kings.

See also

References
  1. Pl. Symp. 212d.e, 213d; Xen. Symp. 5,9
  2. Paus. 1,8,4
  3. Paus. 8,31,8; 10,35,10
  4. Theocr. 18,44
  5. Lucian, Dial. mort. 13,4
  6. "Tainia." Brill’s New Pauly. Brill Online, 2013. Reference. 28 June 2013

The dictionary definition of taenia at Wiktionary

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