Tainia (costume)

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.

Tainia (Ancient Greek: ταινία; pl: ταινίες or Latin: taenia; pl: taeniae or taenias) is a word meaning "band", "ribbon", or "fillet".

It was used to designate the headband worn with the traditional ancient Greek costume. The headbands were worn at Greek festivals. Even the gods bound their heads with tainiai. Furthermore, cult images, trees, urns, monuments, animal sacrifices and the deceased had tainiai wound around them. They were later adopted by the Romans. A similar type of headband was the diadema, used as a symbol for kings.

See also

• Fillet (clothing)
• Wreath (attire)

External links

The dictionary definition of taenia at Wiktionary

• Image of a woman wearing a chiton and a broad taenia at Perseus Project