The Armenian Crown

As some know the precursor of the royal headgear known as a crown was the browband called the diadem, which had been worn by the emperors  of the near east.  It was adopted by Constantine I, and was worn by all subsequent rulers of the later Roman Empire. From it came the all familiar crown we know from monarchs in Europe. While Armenian emperors have been known to wear a diadem in the past, the most iconic of ancient Armenian headgear was another predecessor of the crown known as a Tiara. The depiction of the Armenian Tiara has survived on ancient murals, artwork and coins. In fact it was so connected with Armenia that when the Romans conquered Armenia they depicted the Armenian Tiara (along with bow and arrow) as a symbol of Armenia itself.

According to an ancient Roman playwriter Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254–184 BC), the “tiara” was a head-dress with a large high crown, which covered the ears, and was worn especially by the Armenians, Parthians, and Persians.

Below are a few example of Armenian Tiara from historic acounts.

NOTE: Romans include bow and arrow and crossbow quiver as symbols of Armenia. Armenians where known in the ancient times as excellent bowmen. The epic of Hayk the patriarch of Armenians who slew Bel the king of Babylon by shooting an arrow through his eye only emphasizes the Armenian affinity with this weapon. But this is a subject for another post I’m still saving. So stay tuned 🙂