The ovation ( from ''ovare'': to rejoice) was a lesser form of the

Roman triumph The Roman triumph (') was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Roman forces to victory in the service of the state or, in some historical t ...

. Ovations were granted when war was not declared between enemies on the level of nations or states; when an enemy was considered basely inferior (e.g., slaves, pirates); or when the general conflict was resolved with little or no danger to the army itself. The Ovation could also be given rather than a triumph when there were extenuating circumstances, such as when Marcus Marcellus was given an ovation in lieu of a triumph as his army remained in Sicily and therefore was unable to cross the

pomerium The ''pomerium'' or ''pomoerium'' was a religious boundary around the city of Rome and cities controlled by Rome. In legal terms, Rome existed only within its ''pomerium''; everything beyond it was simply territory ('' ager'') belonging to Rome ...

. The general celebrating the ovation did not enter the city on a ''

biga Biga may refer to: Places * Biga, Çanakkale, a town and district of Çanakkale Province in Turkey * Sanjak of Biga, an Ottoman province * Biga Çayı, a river in Çanakkale Province * Biga Peninsula, a peninsula in Turkey, in the northwest part ...

'', a chariot pulled by two white horses, as generals celebrating triumphs did, but instead rode on horseback in the

toga praetexta The toga (, ), a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a roughly semicircular cloth, between in length, draped over the shoulders and around the body. It was usually woven from white wool, and was worn over a tunic. In Roman historical tra ...

of a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...

. The honoured general also wore a wreath of myrtle (sacred to

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

) upon his brow, rather than the triumphal wreath of

laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

. The

Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...

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 (; 115–53 BC) was a ancient Rome, Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome".Wallechinsky, Da ...

celebrated after his victory of the

Third Servile War The Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War and the War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last in a series of slave rebellions against the Roman Republic known as the Servile Wars. This third rebellion was the only one that directl ...

Ovation holders

Republic

There were 23 known ovations during the Republic. * 503 BC –

Publius Postumius Tubertus __NOTOC__ Publius Postumius Tubertus was a Roman politician who was consul in 505 BC and 503 BC. He was the first of the patrician '' gens Postumia'' to obtain the consulship. Ten years later, he was one of the envoys sent by the Roman Senate to n ...

(over Sabines) * 487 BC –

Gaius Aquillius Tuscus Gaius Aquillius Tuscus was consul of the Roman Republic in 487 BC together with Titus Sicinius Sabinus. Aquillius led the war against the Hernici. Not many details are known, but Dionysius of Halicarnassus records that he was awarded an ovation, a ...

* 474 BC – Gnaeus Manlius VulsoFasti Triumphales
/ref> * 462 BC – T. Veturius Geminus Cicurinus * 421 BC – Cn. Fabius Vibulanus * 410 BC – C. Valerius Potitus Volusus * 390 BC –

Marcus Manlius Capitolinus Marcus Manlius Capitolinus (died 384 BC) was consul of the Roman Republic in 392 BC. He was a brother of Aulus Manlius Capitolinus, consular tribune five times between 389 and 370 BC. The Manlii were one of the leading patrician gentes that do ...

* 360 BC – Marcus Fabius Ambustus * 290 or 289 BC – M. Curius Dentatus * 211 BC –

M. Claudius Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus (; 270 – 208 BC) was a Roman general and politician during the 3rd century BC. Five times elected as Roman consul, consul of the Roman Republic (222, 215, 214, 210, and 208 BC). Marcellus gained the most prestigious a ...

* 207 BC –

Gaius Claudius Nero Gaius Claudius Nero (c. 237 BCc. 189 BC) was a Ancient Rome, Roman general active during the Second Punic War against the invading Carthage, Carthaginian force, led by Hannibal, Hannibal Barca. During a military career that began as Legatus, lega ...

* 200 BC – Lucius Cornelius Lentulus * 196 BC – Cn. Cornelius Blasius * 195 BC – M. Helvius * 191 BC – Marcus Fulvius Nobilior * 185 BC – L. Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus * 182 BC – A. Terentius Varro * 174 BC – Ap. Claudius Centho * 132 BC – M. Perperna * 99 BC – M. Aquilius * 71 BC – M. Licinius Crassus * 44 BC –

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

* 40 BC –

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

* 40 BC –

Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the ...

* 36 BC – Augustus

Principate

* 11 BC –

Nero Claudius Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus (38–9 BC), commonly known in English as Drusus the Elder, was a Roman general and politician. He was a patrician Claudian but his mother was from a plebeian family. He was the son of Livia Drusilla and the s ...

* 9 BC (approved in 11 BC) –

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

* 20 –

Drusus Julius Caesar Drusus Julius Caesar (7 October – 14 September AD 23), also called Drusus the Younger, was the son of Emperor Tiberius, and heir to the Roman Empire following the death of his adoptive brother Germanicus in AD 19. He was born at Rome to a ...

* 40 –

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

* 47 –

Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century. He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first governor of the new province, serving from 43 to 46. Career Little is known of Aulus Plautius's early ...

* 55 –

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

* 93 –

Domitian Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...

John Donahue,
Titus Flavius Domitianus (A.D. 81–96)
'

Notes

{{Reflist, 2 Military awards and decorations of ancient Rome

Ovation holders

Republic

Principate

See also

Notes