στεφανος vs βραβειον

[Alan Patterson]

I think I was taught that στεφανος was for the victor at the Olympic games, while βραβειον was a king's crown. After checking out BDAG, it seems that BOTH of these words were used for the Olympic/Isthmian games. It seems like the crown βραβειον was made to last longer, often having gold in it. My question is, What is the difference between these two words, and which, if any, would refer to the king's crown.

[Stephen Hughes]

Prehaps you could included διάδημα in your consideration of the topic.

[Barry Hofstetter]

I know of no evidence whatsoever that βραβεῖον was ever used of a king's crown. From BDAG:

βραβεῖον, ου, τό (s. βραβεύω; Menand., Monost. 124 J.=653 Meineke [IV p. 359]; Ps.-Oppian, Cyn. 4, 197; Vett. Val. 174, 21; 288, 8; ins: Étude Delphiques [BCH Suppl. IV] ’77, 103–21, line 40 [III b.c.]; IPriene 118, 3 [I b.c.]; CIG 3674, 15 al. [Nägeli 37, 3]; horoscope in PPrinc 75, 13; PGM 4, 664) ‘prize’, but ἆθλον and νικητήριον are more common in Gk. lit. an award for exceptional performance, prize, award
ⓐ of competition in the games, the prim. sense 1 Cor 9:24
ⓑ of moral/spiritual performance, fig. ext. of a (cp. Herm. Wr. 18, 10; GrBar 12:6; Philo, Praem. 6; SibOr 2, 149) of the award of victory of Christians β. τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως the prize that is the object of (and can only be attained in connection with) the upward call Phil 3:14; (w. στέφανος) β. ἀναντίρρητον incontestable prize MPol 17:1. Gener. reward ὑπομονῆς β. reward for endurance 1 Cl 5:5 (cp. Menand., loc. cit. β. ἀρετῆς).—AEhrhardt, An Unknown Orphic-Writing … and St. Paul, ZNW 48, ’57, 101–10.—DELG s.v. βραβεύς. M-M (add. reff. APapathomas, NTS 43, ’97, 234 n. 48). New Docs 2, 78f. TW.

And M&M

For β. = “prize,” as in 1 Cor 9:24, Phil 3:14, see Priene 1188 (i/b.c.) τοῖς νικήσασιν ὡς] ἀσφαλέστατα πρὸς πάντα τὸν χρόνον γενηθῆναι τὰ βραβ[εῖα, CIG 3674 (a.d. 166) τιμηθεὶς χρυσείῳ βραβείῳ. The word is used by Vettius Valens p. 17421 κἀκείνοις τὸ βραβεῖον ἀπονέμειν, and similarly p. 2888. [An instance of βραβεια appears in BGU IV. 1027xxvii. 18 (iv/a.d.) in a fragmentary context; but Wilcken’s revision, Chrest. I. p. 502, shows that the word is βρέβεια = brevia.] Nägeli, p. 37, cites Menander and late poets, with some inscrr. of ii/iii a.d., and the Paris Zauberpapyrus 662.

[Stephen Hughes]

Which kings are you thinking of? Ancient Israeli Kings, Roman emperors or Persians?