In ancient Rome there were different and varied ways of rewarding or distinguishing soldiers who stood out in battle for their bravery, bravery, courage…<\/span>
\nThe most valuable were the military crowns and among these the most important was the crown obsidionalis,<\/strong> grass or grass, so called because it was made with grass and cereals and was given to the general who liberated a besieged or surrounded army. It was manufactured and awarded by the army itself to the general who had saved it. It was also granted to those who were able to lift the siege of a city.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Very few were awarded this crown, for example Publius Publius Cornelius – Scipio Aemilianus (185-129 BC), winner of the 3rd Punic War and destroyer of Carthage (Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia).<\/span><\/p>\n
The civic crown, made of holm oak or oak leaves, was awarded to anyone who saved the life of a Roman citizen<\/a> in combat, whether he was a private soldier or general. He could always behave and was given certain privileges such as having a seat next to the senators.<\/span><\/p>\n
One of the most famous recipients of the Corona Civica, or Civic Crown, was Marcus Licinius Crassus<\/strong>, a Roman general and politician who was awarded the crown during the First Servile War<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n
Crassus later became one of the wealthiest men in Rome<\/a>, and his military and political influence played a significant role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
Another prominent figure in Roman history,\u00a0Julius Caesar<\/strong>,<\/a> was a recipient of the Corona Civica. Caesar<\/a> was awarded the crown for saving the life of a fellow citizen during a siege.<\/span><\/p>\n
The corona muralis (mural) or fortified crown and the vallaris were made of gold and in the shape of a fortification, they were given by the general to the one whose courage had led him to be the first to scale an enemy wall or palisade. <\/span>The muralis was normally awarded to generals or high-ranking officers.<\/span>.<\/p>\n
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Also called navalis<\/strong>, reserved for admirals and captains who had achieved an important victory at sea. It was made of precious metal and decorated with a representation of the prow of a ship or several sterns and sails. <\/span>Agrippa himself received it for his victory in 36 BC, against Sextus Pompey.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
The soldiers were given the torcs, a type of rigid collars that have their origin in the Celtic torcs. In principle it is believed that its origin was the spoils of war.<\/span>
\nArmilla or armillae (kind of bracelet) made of precious metals, which the general gave to his men as a trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n
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When there were no cities to pillage, the \u201ccamp crown\u201d was awarded to the soldier who was first to force an entrance into the enemy camp. Winning the camp crown was like a very high-stakes version of winning Capture the Flag. Again, this was a great way to both reward bravery and incentivize efficiency in battle.<\/span><\/p>\n
This next corona is another one that no mere soldier could hope to win. The \u201cmyrtle crown\u201d was awarded to commanders who won a battle against pirates, barbarians, slaves, or other uncivilized peoples in a battle that was not a part of some official war.<\/span><\/p>\n
The myrtle was the plant most sacred to the goddess Venus who was strongly associated with both Julius Caesar and the mythical foundation of Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n
The olive wreath was awarded to all of the soldiers who had fought in the army of a general who had been awarded a Triumph. In other words, the men who had made the triumph possible. While their boss got the big parade, they got these olive crowns as a sort of recognition trophy for their service.<\/span><\/p>\n
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This triumphal crown or laurel did mean triumph or victory. It was a distinction that was only awarded to the highest officials in Rome<\/a> who achieved a significant achievement, especially generals and emperors.<\/span><\/p>\n
The origins of the use of this crown are not very clear. It probably comes from the ancient Greek Olympic Games<\/a>, where an olive wreath was awarded to the winners of the various events.<\/span><\/p>\n
It is said that Julius Caesar<\/a> and other great Roman figures imitated the olive crown, however, they opted for the laurel, known as laurea, that is, the laureates were awarded. <\/span>Although the crown will always be a symbol of triumph, Julius Caesar used<\/a> it for much more curious and vain reasons. Nice way to hide baldness.<\/span><\/p>\n
My personal favorite crown, this \u201cparty crown\u201d was worn by Romans at parties. These crowns were tight-fitting headbands or \u201cfillets\u201d made out of wool, roses, ivy, and other materials thought to combat the effects of intoxication. Romans were not allowed to wear these crowns in public but commonly wore them in private banquets.<\/span><\/p>\n
The wedding or bridal wreath was made out of verbena gathered by the bride herself (using store-bought flowers was bad luck) and worn underneath her veil. The groom also wore a less flashy chaplet wreath.<\/span><\/p>\n
At the house of a family who had just given birth to a child, a wreath of ivy or parsley was hung above the door both in celebration and for good luck.<\/span><\/p>\n
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The divine crown, worn only by gods and emperors. For the gods, this crown was a sign that they had deified a mortal hero. For emperors, it was appropriated as a symbol of their divinity. As you can see from the picture, it was a simple circular crown adorned with spikey, radiating lances of gold shooting up towards the heavens.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Whenever I come across some token of the emperor\u2019s divinity, I\u2019m reminded of the ever down-to-earth emperor Vespasian (founder of the Flavian dynasty) and his famous last words, \u201cDear me, I think I\u2019m becoming a god.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
This radiant imperial crown was often associated with the cult of Sol Invictus, or \u201cunconquered sun\u201d a god with syncretic ties to both Jesus and Mithras.<\/span><\/p>\n
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The wedding or bridal wreath was made out of verbena gathered by the bride herself (using store-bought flowers was bad luck) and worn underneath her veil. The groom also wore a less flashy chaplet wreath. Crown Nuptialis<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
What Were Military Crowns like in Ancient Rome? In ancient Rome there were different and varied ways of rewarding or distinguishing soldiers who stood out in battle for their bravery, bravery, courage… The most valuable were the military crowns and among these the most important was the crown obsidionalis, grass or grass, so called because it was made with grass and cereals and was given to the general who liberated a besieged or surrounded army. It was manufactured and awarded … <\/p>\n
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