The term victory (from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''victoria'') originally applied to

warfare War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regul ...

, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after

military operation A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations ma ...

s in general or, by extension, in any

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indiv ...

. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic victory, while the success in a

military engagement A military engagement is a combat between two forces, neither larger than a division nor smaller than a company, in which each has an assignor perceived mission. An engagement begins when the attacking force initiates combat in pursuit of its mis ...

is a

tactical victory In military tactics, a tactical victory may refer to a victory that results in the completion of a tactical objective as part of an operation or a result in which the losses of the "defeated" outweigh those of the "victor" although the victor ...

. In terms of human

emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is currently no scientific ...

, victory accompanies strong feelings of elation, and in

human behaviour Human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity ( mentally, physically, and socially) of human individuals or groups to respond to internal and external stimuli throughout their life. Kagan, Jerome, Marc H. Bornstein, and Richard M. ...

often exhibits movements and poses paralleling

threat display Deimatic behaviour or startle display means any pattern of bluffing behaviour in an animal that lacks strong defences, such as suddenly displaying conspicuous eyespots, to scare off or momentarily distract a predator, thus giving the prey anima ...

preceding the combat, which are associated with the excess

endorphin Endorphins (contracted from endogenous morphine) are chemical signals in the brain that block the perception of pain and increase feelings of wellbeing. They are produced and stored in an area of the brain known as the pituitary gland. Hist ...

built up preceding and during combat. Victory dances and victory cries similarly parallel

war dance A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare. Martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like setti ...

s and war cries performed before the outbreak of physical violence. Examples of victory behaviour reported in Roman antiquity, where the term ''victoria'' originated, include: the victory songs of the Batavi mercenaries serving under

Gaius Julius Civilis Gaius Julius Civilis was the leader of the Batavian rebellion against the Romans in 69 AD. His nomen shows that he (or one of his male ancestors) was made a Roman citizen (and thus, the tribe a Roman vassal) by either Augustus or Caligula. Earl ...

after the victory over Quintus Petillius Cerialis in the

Batavian rebellion The Revolt of the Batavi took place in the Roman province of Germania Inferior between AD 69 and 70. It was an uprising against the Roman Empire started by the Batavi, a small but militarily powerful Germanic tribe that inhabited Batavia, on ...

of 69 AD (according to

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

); and also the "abominable song" to

Wodan Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victor ...

, sung by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

at their victory celebration in 579. The sacrificial animal was a goat, around whose head the Langobards danced in a circle while singing their victory hymn. The

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

and

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

celebrated victories with

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

ceremonies and with monuments such as

victory column A victory column, or monumental column or triumphal column, is a monument in the form of a column, erected in memory of a victorious battle, war, or revolution. The column typically stands on a base and is crowned with a victory symbol, such as a ...

s (e.g.

Trajan's Column Trajan's Column ( it, Colonna Traiana, la, Columna Traiani) is a Roman triumphal column in Rome, Italy, that commemorates Roman emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. It was probably constructed under the supervision of the architect Ap ...

) and arches. A trophy is a token of victory taken from the defeated party, such as the enemy's weapons (''

spolia ''Spolia'' (Latin: 'spoils') is repurposed building stone for new construction or decorative sculpture reused in new monuments. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice whereby stone that has been quarried, cut and used in a built ...

''), or body parts (as in the case of head hunters).

Mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

often deifies victory, as in the cases of the Greek

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

or the Roman

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. The victorious agent is a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

, often portrayed as engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a monster (as

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

slaying the dragon, Indra slaying Ahi, Thor slaying the Midgard Serpent etc.). Sol Invictus ("the Invincible Sun") of Roman mythology became an epithet of Christ (title), Christ in Christianity. Paul of Tarsus presents the resurrection of Christ as a victory over Death and Christian views on sin, Sin (1 Corinthians 15:55). The Latinate English-language word ''victory'' (from the 14th century) replaced the Old English equivalent term ''sige'' (cognate with Gothic ''sigis'', Old High German ''sigu'' and ''Sieg'' in modern German), a frequent element in Germanic names (as in Sigibert, Sigurd etc.), cognate to Celtic ''sego'' and Sanskrit ''sahas''.

The universal sign for victory

The age-old "V sign" comes in two formats: one with the palm faced outwards, and one with the palm inwards. In the United States, the two hand signals mean the same thing – "victory".

Religion

Gautama Buddha, Buddha emphasized the immortality that exists within ourself, to act to conquer ourself is his victory and ours; "It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell." Buddha's victory is ours, it rests forever in the seat of the mind, unfolding in numerous lives. In Ch.2 Verse 38 of the ''Bhagavad Gita'' equanimity is ordained by Krishna, speaking to Arjuna; "Know That, by which all this (universe) is pervaded, to be indestructible. No one can destroy the indestructible (Ātman (Hinduism), Atma)." and later Krishna states after instructing Arjuna to act with newly found clarity "Treating alike victory and defeat, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, Get ready for the battle. Fighting thus you will not incur sin." Sin-virtue are matters of the mind, and aren't of the body. A battle, whether won or lost, or whether escaping the battle, it doesn't change the nature and the purity of ourself, any battle, for all eternity. Perceiving loss is a reason for the unhappiness and sadness, perceiving all gain and loss as the same, this is to be free from the sin of believing the accruement of gain and loss is the same as our own gain and loss. In the New Testament, the victory of Jesus Christ over death and the sharing of that victory with the Disciple (Christianity), Christian believer are referred to in the writings of Saint Paul and Johannine literature, Saint John (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians 15:57, 1 John 5, 1 John 5:4).

References

External links

{{Wiktionary
Victory: Definition, Idea and Phenomenon
Victory, Articles containing video clips

The universal sign for victory

Religion

See also

References

External links