Ovation
Encyclopedia
The ovation was a lower form of the Roman triumph
. Ovations were granted, when war was not declared between enemies on the level of states, when an enemy was considered basely inferior (slave
s, pirates) or when the general conflict was resolved with little to no bloodshed or danger to the army itself.
The general celebrating the ovation did not enter the city on a biga
, a chariot pulled by two white horse
s, as generals celebrating triumphs did, but instead walked in the toga praetexta
of a magistrate (a toga with a purple
stripe, unlike generals in triumphs, who wore the toga picta
that was totally purple and adorned with gold embroidery).
The honoured general also wore a wreath
of myrtle (sacred to Venus
) upon his brow, rather than the triumphal wreath of laurel
. The Roman Senate
did not precede the general, nor did soldiers usually participate in the procession.
Perhaps the most famous ovation in history is that which Marcus Licinius Crassus
celebrated after his victory of the Third Servile War
.
There were 23 known ovations during the Republic.
Principate
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
. Ovations were granted, when war was not declared between enemies on the level of states, when an enemy was considered basely inferior (slave
Slave rebellion
A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves. Slave rebellions have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery, and are amongst the most feared events for slaveholders...
s, pirates) or when the general conflict was resolved with little to no bloodshed or danger to the army itself.
The general celebrating the ovation did not enter the city on a biga
Biga (chariot)
The biga is the two-horse chariot as used in ancient Rome for sport, transportation, and ceremonies. Other animals may replace horses in art and occasionally for actual ceremonies. The term biga is also used by modern scholars for the similar chariots of other Indo-European cultures, particularly...
, a chariot pulled by two white horse
White (horse)
White horses are born white and stay white throughout their life. White horses may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant white genes, are rare...
s, as generals celebrating triumphs did, but instead walked in the toga praetexta
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
of a magistrate (a toga with a purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
stripe, unlike generals in triumphs, who wore the toga picta
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
that was totally purple and adorned with gold embroidery).
The honoured general also wore a wreath
Wreath
A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...
of myrtle (sacred to Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
) upon his brow, rather than the triumphal wreath of laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
. The Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
did not precede the general, nor did soldiers usually participate in the procession.
Perhaps the most famous ovation in history is that which Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
celebrated after his victory of the Third Servile War
Third Servile War
The Third Servile War , also called the Gladiator War and the War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last of a series of unrelated and unsuccessful slave rebellions against the Roman Republic, known collectively as the Roman Servile Wars...
.
Ovation holders
RepublicRoman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
There were 23 known ovations during the Republic.
- 503 BC - P. Postumius Tubertus (over Sabins)
- 487 BC - C. Aquilius Tuscus
- 474 BC - A. Manlius Volso
- 462 BC - T. Veturius Geminus Cicurinus
- 421 BC - Cn. Fabius Vibulanus
- 410 BC - C. Valerius Potitus Volusus
- 390 BC - M. Manlius Capitolinus
- 360 BC - M. Fabius Ambustus
- 290 or 289 BC - M. Curius Dentatus
- 211 BC - M. Claudius MarcellusMarcus Claudius MarcellusMarcus Claudius Marcellus , five times elected as consul of the Roman Republic, was an important Roman military leader during the Gallic War of 225 BC and the Second Punic War...
- 207 BC - C. Claudius Nero
- 200 BC - L. Cornelius Lentulus
- 196 BC - Cn. Cornelius Blasius
- 195 BC - M. Helvius
- 191 BC - M. Fulvius
- 185 BC - L. Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus
- 182 BC - A. Terentius Varro
- 174 BC - Ap. Claudius Centho
- 132 BC - M. PerpernaMarcus PerpernaMarcus Perperna, Roman consul in 130 BC, is said to have been a consul before he was a citizen; for Valerius Maximus relates, that the father of this Perperna was condemned under the lex Papia after the death of his son, because he had falsely usurped the rights of a Roman citizen.M...
- 99 BC - M. Aquilius
- 71 BC - M. Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
- 44 BC - Julius CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
- 40 BC - AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
- 36 BC - Augustus
Principate
- 11 BC - Nero Claudius DrususNero Claudius DrususNero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman politician and military commander. He was a fully patrician Claudian on his father's side but his maternal grandmother was from a plebeian family...
- 9 BC (approved in 11 BC) - TiberiusTiberiusTiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
- 20 - Drusus Julius Caesar
- 40 - CaligulaCaligulaCaligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
- 47 - Aulus Plautius
- 50 - Publius Pomponius Secundus
- 55 - NeroNeroNero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
- 93 - DomitianDomitianDomitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...