276 TRAVELS: TO DISCOVER 
this circumftance from Suetonius and Aurelius Viétor*, A. 
comet had appeared inthe war with Perfia, and was looked 
upon by the Romans as a bad omen. Vefpafian laughed at 
it, and faid, if it portended any ill it was to the king of Per-. 
fia, becaufe, Hike him, it wore long hair, . 
Tue diadem was, with the Perfians, a-‘mark of royalty, ass 
with the Abyflinians, being: compofed: of the fame mate-. 
rials, and worn in the fame manner. ., The king of Abyflinia . 
wears. it, while marching, as-a mark: of fovereignty, that 
does not impede or incommode him, as any other heavier 
ornament would do, efpecially in hot: weather. This’ fillet. 
furrounds his head above the hair, leaving the. crown per- 
fectly uncovered. It isan offence of the firft magnitude for 
any perfon, at this time, to wear any thing upon.his head; _ 
efpecially white, unlefs for Mahometans, who wear caps, | 
and over them a large white turban; or for priefts, wha. 
wear large turbans of mudlin alfo. . 
Turis was the diadém of the Perfians, as appears from ; 
Lucian +, who calls it a white fillet about the forehead. In. 
the dialogue. between Diogenes and Alexander, the head is 
faid to be tied round with a white fillet [; and Favorinus, | 
fpeaking of Pompey, whofe leg was wound round witha_. 
white bandage, fays, It is: no matter on what part of the 
body he wears a diadem. We read in Juftin |, that Alexan- 
der, leaping from his horfe,by accident wounded Lyfimachus ; 
in the forehead with the point of his fpear, and the blood | 
guthed . 
* Suet. Vefpas. cap, 23, Sex. Aurel. Vitor, cap. 23. + Lucian. de Votis ceu-in Nae. 
vigio, Efdras, lib. iii, $ Valer:.Maxim, lib, vi. cap. 2... || Juftin lib, xv. 
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