Roman triumphal honours (Latin: ''insignia'' or ''ornamenta triumphalia'') denotes honours awarded during the
Roman Empire to a victorious general in lieu of a full
Roman triumph.
After 14 BC, it became the policy of the founder-emperor
Augustus, and of his successors, to grant full Triumphs only to members of their own ruling
Julio-Claudian dynasty. As a substitute, victorious generals who were unrelated to the imperial house were awarded ''insignia'' (or ''ornamenta'') ''triumphalia''. That is, the dress and privileges traditionally granted to a ''triumphator'', without the elaborate triumphal procession through Rome at the head of his troops.
Insignia
The honours included the right to wear triumphal dress in public: the ''corona triumphalis'' (a gold
coronet fashioned in the shape of a
laurel wreath with dangling gold ribbons); an ivory
baton
Baton may refer to:
Stick-like objects
*Baton, a type of club
*Baton (law enforcement)
*Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts
*Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people
*Baton (conductin ...
; the ''tunica palmata'' (a
tunic embroidered with
palm-leaves
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...
); and the ''toga picta'' ("painted toga"), a
toga which was dyed entirely purple with embroidered gold border, a robe believed originally to have been the official dress of the
Roman kings. The only other Romans entitled to wear these garments were the emperor himself, the two
Consuls in office and other
magistrates when presiding over games.
In addition, a bronze statue of the beneficiary of triumphal honours was erected in the
Forum of Augustus. The beneficiary also had the right to display a further statue of himself in triumphal attire in the vestibule of his own house, which could also be displayed by his descendants.
Later history
Triumphal honours became debased in the latter part of
Tiberius' rule and under
Nero (r. 54-68), who awarded them to
delators (spies used by these emperors to denounce out-of-favour senators for treason), as well as to military victors. But they were restored to distinction by
Vespasian (r. 69-79) who had himself been awarded such honors by
Claudius
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...
during the invasion of Britain. Under the
Antonines (98-180), the winners of triumphal honours lost the right to wear triumphal dress, which was now reserved for the Consuls and for the emperors themselves, but retained the privilege of a public statue.
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
(r. 117-138) awarded ornamenta triumphalia to
Sextus Julius Severus and other generals after the
Bar Kokhba revolt
The Bar Kokhba revolt ( he, , links=yes, ''Mereḏ Bar Kōḵḇāʾ''), or the 'Jewish Expedition' as the Romans named it ( la, Expeditio Judaica), was a rebellion by the Jews of the Judea (Roman province), Roman province of Judea, led b ...
.
[ W. Eck. 1999]
''The Bar Kokhba Revolt: The Roman Point of View''
The Journal of Roman Sudies, vol 89, pp. 76-89.
See also
*
Ovation
*
Roman triumph
Citations
{{Reflist
References
*
Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890)
Military awards and decorations of ancient Rome