Crowns and Diadems Differences?

[In Christ Forever]

I am currently do a word study on revelation and was wondering if someone could tell me the difference or "symbolic" distinction between crowns and diadems. A lot of translations have them all "crowns", but I was using a lexicon and there is a difference in the words. Anyone have any idea on this? Thanks and God bless.

(Young) Revelation 4:4 And around the throne [are] thrones twenty and four, and upon the thrones I saw the twenty and four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and they had upon their heads crowns of gold;
(Young) Revelation

4:10 fall down do the twenty and four elders before Him who is sitting upon the throne, and bow before Him who is living to the ages of the ages, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

(Young) Revelation 9:7 And the likenesses of the locusts [are] like to horses made ready to battle, and upon their heads as crowns like gold, and their faces as faces of men,

(Young) Revelation 12:3 And there was seen another sign in the heaven, and, lo, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his head seven diadems,

(NKJV) Revelation 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns diadems, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

(Young) Revelation 19:12 and his eyes [are] as a flame of fire, and upon his head [are] many diadems--having a name written that no one hath known, except himself,

(Young) Revelation 12:1 And a great sign was seen in the heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars,

(Young) Revelation 6:2 and I saw, and lo, a white horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a bow, and there was given to him a crown, and he went forth overcoming, and that he may overcome.

(Young) Revelation 14:14 And I saw, and lo, a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sitting like to a son of man, having upon his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle;

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith [is] futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, [and] has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 

[RVincent]

Both appear to be ornaments of royalty and dominion. Any further in-depth meaning behind them I do not know, but would be interested if there is.

We do note from the verses you referenced that both are used of God's Own and Satan's own.

crowns: Gr. stephanos, stef'-an-os; from an appar. prim. stepho, (to twine or wreathe); a chaplet (as a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor gen.; but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple fillet, G1238), lit. or fig.:--crown.

diadems: Gr. diadema, dee-ad'-ay-mah; from a comp. of G1223 and G1210; a "diadem" (as bound about the head):--crown. Comp. G4735.

This is a composite of two words, including dia, the precise meaning of which is dependent on the Case.​

Therefore, we might say that a crown (stephanos) is a symbol of one's authority, while a diadem (diadema) signifies the action through (dia) which one attains it.

 

[In Christ Forever]

<B>badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor gen.; but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple fillet, G1238), lit. or fig.:--crown.

diadems: Gr. diadema, dee-ad'-ay-mah; from a comp. of G1223 and G1210; a "diadem" (as bound about the head):--crown. Comp. G4735.

This is a composite of two words, including dia, the precise meaning of which is dependent on the Case.​

Therefore, we might say that a crown (stephanos) is a symbol of one's authority, while a diadem (diadema) signifies the action through (dia) which one attains it.

</B>


Thanks. That is interesting. I am studying on it pretty deeply now [fascinating book!] and some translations aren't very good, so a lexicon appears to be a must.

Sometimes it appears to show both Christ and God as being the same. Christ is shown as the Alpha and Omega who is to come and here it is God Himself who is to come

reve 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, [the] Beginning and [the] End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

reve 4:8 [The] four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"


ephesian 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now [you are] light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose [them.]

 

[Polycarp1]

A crown is the mark of rule and authority; a coronet or diadem that of nobility and delegated-authority-under-authority -- and sometimes that of a rebellious person who had that delegated authority.

But it is not wise to put too much store on which word John uses -- he is known in his other books for using two synonymous words indiscriminately, where we would tend to put emphasis on the difference in connotation between them. (Example: Peter and Jesus after the Resurrection: "Do you love me, Peter?" "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Twice agapao -- selfless love, when you get technical, is what Jesus uses -- and once philao -- brotherly love. That may mean that Jesus is willing to accept what Peter has to give, not demanding agapé when Peter can only give philia, but most scholars are convinced that it's simply purely a case of indiscriminate use of synonymous words -- like "road" and "highway" in English of the same thoroughfare.

 

[In Christ Forever]

But it is not wise to put too much store on which word John uses -- he is known in his other books for using two synonymous words indiscriminately, where we would tend to put emphasis on the difference in connotation between them.

Well I know I am not wise, but revelation being the symbolic kind of book it is, I guess I want to study on it more deeply and the use of those words must have a significance. Being retired I have plenty of time.
I just thought it was interesting. Thks for the thought.

reve 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, [the] Beginning and [the] End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."


reve 4:8 [The] four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"


1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith [is] futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, [and] has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 

[Polycarp1]

That was in no way intended to be a putdown, friend, but merely to suggest that one might see an implication in which word is used where none may in fact exist, if the scholarly comments regarding John's tendency to use both words in a set of synonyms is accurate.

 

[Mr Dave]

Mod-Hat On

This thread is an old thread from 2004 being reopened by request.

Mod-Hat Off​

 

[Mr Dave]

From my Greek lexicon for a definition (Thayer's, 2009)

Diadem - The blue band marked with white with which Persian kings used to bind on the turban or tiara. The Kingly ornament for the head.

[Syntax; diadema, stephanos : like the Latin corona is a crown in the sense of a chaplet, wreath, or garland - the badge of "victory in the games, of civic worth, of military valour, of nuptial joy, of festal gladness"; diadema is a crown as the badge of royalty.]

Stephanos - A crown with which the head is encircled. A mark of Royal or exalted rank. [variety of passages] perhaps justify the doubt whether the distinction between stephanos and diadema was strictly observed in Hellenistic Greek

After copying it all, it turns out that there probably wasn't much of a distinction made when the two word were used.

I guess like some people say Jumper, Sweater or Pullover to refer to the same thing. Doesn't denote any real difference, just the kind of words people get in a habit of saying more than the other options available.

Although, looking at that, stephanos seems to me to hold a higher status as its meaning is limit to the highest echelons of society when diadema can be the same but has the extra meanings of being used like the wreaths in the modern day olympics.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Subscribing

 

[Mr Dave]

In another thread I posted as couple of things, so will repeat them here to get the ball rolling (and to post some pretty pictures ). Although there's the greek bit a couple of posts up.

In a contemporary sense, I would say that only members of a Royal Household have crowns and the crown is the distinctive head-joy that shows their position (In Great Britain only the Monarch can have a crown with two arches etc. whilst HRH The Prince of Wales can have a crown but with only one arch etc.) They may also have diadems but these would be merely nice decorative head-pieces but do not exist to denote their position in the Royal Household. Non Royals may also have diadems I'd have thought.

Crowns denote membership and sometimes position in a Royal Family, diadems look nice but do not serve any greater purpose.

Just to show what I'm on about,

The crown of the Prince of Wales denotes that he is Royal (as it is a crown) but is not Monarch as there is one arch.

The Imperial State Crown denotes that the wearer is monarch as there are two arches

A diadem, not necessarily for a Royal (just someone high up in society, aristocracy, as far as I'm aware) No arches

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

In another thread I posted as couple of things, so will repeat them here to get the ball rolling (and to post some pretty pictures ). Although there's the greek bit a couple of posts up.

Just to show what I'm on about,

The crown of the Prince of Wales denotes that he is Royal (as it is a crown) but is not Monarch as there is one arch.

The Imperial State Crown denotes that the wearer is monarch as there are two arches

A diadem, not necessarily for a Royal (just someone high up in society, aristocracy, as far as I'm aware) No arches

Looks a lot like what some of the earlier popes wore

http://www.christianforums.com/t7492808-47/#post55562187
Ezekiel 21:26

 

[Mr Dave]

Not the only similarity,

Elizabeth II DG R FD
Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor
Elizabeth II By The Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith (for the common full title, she has more of course but that's what the 'full title' is commonly shortened to).

I don't know if Pope's actually have those titles but I'd be worried if a Pope didn't consider himself to be defender of the faith (a title given British monarchs by Pope Leo X)

So yes, both topped with a cross (and I think I see an orb on the Pope's).
I personally prefer that of Her Maj, but I am biased on that front, being a bit of a royalist.
I guess a diadem wouldn't as they don't have the covering over the top of the head (in a modern sense, and perhaps also in the diadema/stephanos debacle)

Anyway without drifting off, as impressive as it is, does the Pope's count as a crown? I don't know too much about that kind of stuff.
...
Wikipedia says that Popes are crowned with a tiara. I had no idea. How would that differ from a crown or a diadem?

 

[Kristos]

how does this relate to a turban?

 

[Mr Dave]

how does this relate to a turban?

I think when the Greek dictionary mentioned turban it was more in the sense of a cloth covering that is wrapped around the head as is/was common in that part of the world, that the diadema/stephanos was placed on top of. Not turban in a Sikh sense etc.

 

[Mr Dave]

Just done a bit of a Journal search;

Relating to what is either the tomb of Philip II of Macedon (c.368-336 BC, Father to Alexander the Great) or Philip III Arrhidaeus (c.359-317 BC, Half-brother to Alexander The Great) in Vergina, Greece, Bronze diadems have been found.

These were not all royal diadems. Although the verb didaeo, to bind or, as Calder prefers, to tie, does not apply to these metallic diadems, the form of the most elaborate of these golden diadems indicates that they were bound or tied about the head. Hence it is not solely a cloth band or ribbon that must be so tied.
The correct archeological term for such "crowns" is diadem.

...

Adronikos [the excavator of the tombs] was correct in terming the gold-plated silver tubular crown a diadem.

...

[In a portrait in the Alexander Sarcophagus in Istanbul, Alexander] is shown wearing the royal diadem that he had adopted, in tubular form. It is reasonable to conclude that the unusual tubular metallic form of diadem ... must constitute one form of royal diadem. Hence Calder's statement that Andronikos' "use of 'diadem' as a careless synonym (italics mine) for stephanos is incorrect.

Phyllis Williams Lehmann, 'The So-Called Tomb of Philip II: An Addendum' American Journal Of Archaeology 86.3, 1982, pp.437-442

and from a different article, but concerning the same finds;

Except for the Artjukhov diadem, which has metal hooks, it is the eyelets of the others (not the "form") that prove that they were threaded with a ribbon which was tied behind the head, possibly beneath the hair - that is, cloth, not metal that was tied. This is precisely what Hoffmann-Davidson - adduced by Lehmann say, "The diadem was almost certainly worn over a high coiffure and tied at the back with a ribbon. ... The technical term for such 'crowns' is diadem," by which she means threaded stephanoi

William Musgrave Calder III, '"Golden Diadems" Again' American Journal of Archaeology 87.1 1983, pp.102-103


From this it seems to me that diadema were a form of stephanos that, usually, had eyelets and were held on the head by a threaded piece of ribbon, and not merely resting on the head (like a modern day crown).

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by Kristos

how does this relate to a turban?
​

I think when the Greek dictionary mentioned turban it was more in the sense of a cloth covering that is wrapped around the head as is/was common in that part of the world, that the diadema/stephanos was placed on top of. Not turban in a Sikh sense etc.

So how would you apply that to the diadems mentioned in Revelation?

Revelation 12:3 And there was seen another sign in the heaven, and, lo, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his head seven diadems,

Revelation 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns diadems, and on his heads a blasphemous name.