The spolia opima (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

for 'rich spoils') were the armour, arms, and other effects that an ancient

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

general stripped from the body of an opposing commander slain in

single combat Single combat is a duel between two single combatants which takes place in the context of a battle between two army, armies. Instances of single combat are known from Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The champions were often combatants wh ...

. The spolia opima were regarded as the most honourable of the several types of war trophies a commander could obtain, including enemy military standards and the peaks of warships.

Royal and Republican periods

For the majority of the city's existence, the Romans recognized only three instances when spolia opima were taken. The precedent was imagined in Rome's mythical history, which tells that in 752 BC

Romulus Romulus (, ) was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of th ...

defeated and stripped Acron, king of the Caeninenses, following the Rape of the Sabine Women. In the second instance, Aulus Cornelius Cossus obtained the spolia opima from

Lars Tolumnius Lars Tolumnius (Etruscan language, Etruscan: Larth Tulumnes, d. 437 BC) was the most famous king of the wealthy Etruscan Civilization, Etruscan city-state of Veii. He is best remembered for instigating, and decisively losing, a war with the neighb ...

, king of the

Veientes Veii (also Veius; ) was an important ancient Etruscan civilization, Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the Comuni of the Province of Rome, comune of Rome ...

, during Rome's semi-legendary fifth century BC. The third and most historically grounded occurred before the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...

, when

Marcus 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 ...

(consul 222 BC) galloped forward beyond his battle line and speared the Celtic warrior

Viridomarus Viridomarus (or Britomartus as translations vary; died 222 BC) was a Gauls, Gallic military leader of the Gaesatae. In 222 BC he was hired by the Insubres who were fighting the Roman Republic, Romans. Viridomarus led a mercenary army against a Rom ...

, a king of the

Gaesatae The Gaesatae or Gaesati (Latin ''Gaesati'', Greek Γαισάται) were a group of Gallic mercenary warriors who lived in the Alps and near the river Rhône in the 3rd century BC. They fought against the Roman Republic at the Battle of Telamon i ...

, before stripping him of his armour on the battlefield. The ceremony of the spolia opima was a ritual of state religion that was supposed to emulate the archaic ceremonies carried out by the founder Romulus. The victor affixed the stripped armor to the trunk of an oak tree, carried it himself in a procession to the

Capitoline The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; ; ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. The word ''Capitolium'' first referre ...

, and dedicated it at the Temple of Jupiter Feretrius. To dedicate the spoils to Jupiter Feretrius, one needed be the commander of a Roman army. Thus, Titus Manlius Torquatus, Valerius Corvus and

Scipio Aemilianus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Aemilianus (185 BC – 129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and durin ...

, though they all slew enemy leaders in single combat (the first two against Gauls and Aemilianus against a king in

Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...

), were not considered to have won the spolia opima.

Imperial period

During the early years of the imperial regime, in 27 BC, M Licinius Crassus (grandson of the

triumvir In the Roman Republic, or were commissions of three men appointed for specific tasks. There were many tasks that commissions could be established to conduct, such as administer justice, mint coins, support religious tasks, or found colonies. M ...

) after victories in Macedonia requested a triumph and right to dedicate spolia opima due to his slaying of an enemy chieftain in hand-to-hand combat. Dedication rights were denied by Augustus. Crassus' illustrious political lineage made him a potential rival to Augustus. While Crassus' triumph was granted, it was required to be a joint triumph with Augustus who may have argued he deserved it due to his also holding ''imperium'' in Macedonia.

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 ...

, a Roman general of the first century BC and member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, sought out Germanic chieftains to face in single combat during his campaigns. Sources suggest that he eventually may have been able to take the spolia opima.Lindsay Powell, "Eager for Glory: The Untold Story of Drusus the Elder, Conqueror of Germania", p. 104

References

{{Reflist, 20em Military awards and decorations of ancient Rome Victory Processions in ancient Rome

Royal and Republican periods

Imperial period

See also

References