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receiving diadems. These diadems are not the same as the lofty crown above (ϲτέφοϲ ὑψικάρηνον, verses 27 and 29). If Dioscorus was influenced by the pictorial art in the church, the διαδήµ^Wα φωτόϲ could be saints’ haloes or even the medallions holding images of the saints. See the encaustic icon of St. Peter (Figure 3) and the Coptic tapestry of the Theotokos (Figure 5), both from the 6th century. These haloes and medallions would be golden and in sunlight perhaps gleam. Through such an allusion to pictorial art, the Dioscorian imagery of diadems of light from heaven would recall the biblical concept that the faithful were entrusted to Christ’s care by God (Jo. 6:39; etc.) And the plurality repeats the motif that the Body of Christ is made up of the many faithful (see the discussion of ὑµετέρηιϲιν … χερϲίν in verse 23 above). In other words: successful nurturing of the faithful would lead to their sainthood (διαδήµ^Wα φωτόϲ) and this care was entrusted by God (Θεὸϲ … πόρεν) to Christ and his Church (ὔµµι). There is, however, another interpretation possible, and both allegorical meanings can coexist simultaneously. The poet pointed out that the word διαδήµ^Wα is important. Literally “a band”, the term is used neither by Homer nor by Nonnus, and by Dioscorus only here. To further stress it, the poet surrounded the five syllable word with words of only two syllables. Diadem imagery combined with light imagery is found in a Christian context both in Eusebius and Clement of Alexandria. Clement quotes an account given by the prophet Sophonias about the prophet’s ascent into the fifth heaven. There the angels are called lords, wear diadems, and sit on thrones of light (Stromata, Book 5, chapter 11, section 77, subsection 2, lines 1-6). In Eusebius, the imagery is used to describe the rewards that Christ is given in heaven: Clement A. Kuehn