Etymology
Trophies have marked victories since ancient times. The word ''trophy'', coined in English in 1550, was derived from the French ''trophée'' in 1513, "a prize of war", from Old French ''trophee'', from Latin ''trophaeum'', monument to victory, variant of ''tropaeum'', which in turn is the latinisation of the Greek τρόπαιον ('' tropaion''), the neuter of τροπαῖος (''tropaios''), "of defeat" or "for defeat", but generally "of a turning" or "of a change", from τροπή (''tropē''), "a turn, a change" and that from the verb τρέπω (''trepo''), "to turn, to alter". In ancient Greece, trophies were made on the battlefields of victorious battles, from captured arms and standards, and were hung upon a tree or a large stake made to resemble a warrior. Often, these ancient trophies were inscribed with a story of the battle and were dedicated to various gods. Trophies made about naval victories sometimes consisted of entire ships (or what remained of them) laid out on the beach. To destroy a trophy was considered a sacrilege. The ancient Romans kept their trophies closer to home. The Romans built magnificent trophies in Rome, including columns and arches atop a foundation. Most of the stone trophies that once adorned huge