{A crown of thorns} (stephanon ex akanth(936e)). They wove a
crown out of thorns which would grow even in the palace grounds.
It is immaterial whether they were young and tender thorn bushes,
as probable in the spring, or hard bushes with sharp prongs. The
soldiers would not care, for they were after ridicule and mockery
even if it caused pain. It was more like a victor's garland
(stephanon) than a royal diadem (diad(886d)a), but it served the
purpose. So with the reed (kalamon), a stalk of common cane
grass which served as sceptre. The soldiers were familiar with
the _Ave Caesar_ and copy it in their mockery of Jesus: {Hail,
King of the Jews} (chaire, Basileu t(936e) Ioudai(936e)). The soldiers
added the insults used by the Sanhedrin ( Mt 26:67 ), spitting on
him and smiting him with the reed. Probably Jesus had been
unbound already. At any rate the garments of mockery were removed
before the _via dolorosa_ to the cross (verse  31 ).