Tainia (costume)

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

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.