If you've ever seen a sculpture or an ancient coin of a Roman emperor, you've probably noticed that they were wearing a wreath on their head.

That wreath, however, doesn't mean what you probably think it means.

It actually had a very specific meaning, predated the imperial age and the reason why

emperors wore it had all to do with a single person.

Learn more about the Civic Crown, also known as the Corona Kiwita, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Curiosity Stream.

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Let's start this discussion by clarifying what the wreath on the head of Julius Caesar was not.

It was not a crown signifying authority. Today we associate

wearing a crown with being a monarch. When the Queen opens Parliament she wears a

crown signifying her position as the monarch. The crown often becomes a symbol

of the authority of the monarch even if it isn't worn. That's why all the mailboxes in

the UK have a crown on them. While crowns have a very ancient history, the rulers in the area around the Mediterranean,

thousands of years ago, usually wore something called a diadem. A diadem is crown-like, but it's actually more like a headband.

I'll have a bit more to say about diadems in a bit.

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