Diadem

Ancient Greek band-style crown

A diadem is a metal-band headpiece used in ancient Greece and Rome — the original ancestor of the crown in its most classical form. Featuring a thin metal band adorned with gemstones or relief decoration, its elegant simplicity laid the foundation for all later crown designs. Alexander the Great famously adopted the Persian diadem after his conquests, symbolizing the fusion of East and West. Hellenistic kings wore white cloth diadems as royal insignia, and the form evolved into the imperial headband of late Roman emperors.