Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

CORONA.

118

CORONA.

from the tuba itself, in being curved nearly
in the shape of a C, with a cross-piece to
steady the instrument for the convenience of
the performer. Hence Ovid says [Met. i. 98) :

" Non tuba direrti, non arris coraua flexi."

The classicum, which originally meant a signal,
rather than the musical instrument which gave
the signal, was usually sounded with the corn u.

" Sontiit ri'flexo daMkufli comn,
I.ituusqiie attuneo Btritlulos cantus
Klisit acre." (.Sen. Oeti. 734.1

The Cormcines and LUiemet, the persons who
blew the Cornu and Lituus, formed a col-
legium. In the preceding cut, H. Julius
Victor, a member of the Collegium, holds a
lituus in his right hand, and touches with
his left a cornu on the gTound. See engrav-
ing under Tuba.

CORONA (ffTe'vWo?), a crown, that is, a
circular ornament of metal, leaves, or flowers,
worn by the ancients round the head or neck,
and used as a festive as well as funereal de-
coration, and as a reward of talent, military
or naval prowess, and civil worth. Its first
introduction as an honorary reward is attri-
butable to the athletic games, in some of
which it was bestowed as a prize upon the
victor. It was the only reward contended
for by the-Spartans in their gymnic contests,
and was worn by them when going to battle.
The Romans refined upon the practice of the
Greeks, and invented a great variety of
crowns formed of different materials, each
with a separate appellation, and appropriated
to a particular purpose.-—I. Corona Obsi-
dionalis. Amongst the honorary crowns
bestowed by the Romans for military achieve-
ments, the most difficult of attainment, and
the one which conferred the highest honour,
was the corona obsitlionalis, presented by a
beleaguered army after its liberation to the
general who broke up the siege. It was
made of grass, or weeds and wild flowers,
thence called corona graminea, and graminca
obsidionalis, gathered from the spot on which
the beleaguered army had been enclosed.—
II. Corona Civica, the second in honour and
importance, was presented to the soldier who
had preserved the life of a Roman citizen in
battle. It was made of the leaves of the oak.

Corona Cmca, on a Com of the Emperor Galba.
SPQR OB CS = Srnntus Populusnue Romanus ob
oven sen-arum.

The soldier who had acquired th s crown had
a place reserved next to the senate at all the
public spectacles ; and they, as well as the
rest of the company, rose up upon his en-
; trance. He was freed from all public bur-
thens, as were also his father, and his pa-
ternal grandfather ; and the person who owed
his life to him was bound, ever after, to
cherish his preserver as a parent, and afford
him all such offices as were due from a sou
to his father.—III. Corona Navalis or Ros-
teata, called also Classica. It is difficult to
i determine whether these were two distinct
j crowns, or only two denominations for the
' same one. It seems probable that the navalis
! corona, besides being a generic term, was
inferior in dignity to the latter, and given
to the sailor who first boarded-an enemy's
ship ; whereas the rostrata was given to a
commander who destroyed the whole fleet,
or gained any very signal victory. At all
events, they were both made of gold ; and
one at least (rostrata) decorated with the
beaks of ships like the rostra in the forum.
The Athenians likewise bestowed golden
crowns for naval services; sometimes upon
the person who got his trireme first equipped,
and at others upon the captain who had his
vessel in the best order.—IV. Corona Mtj-
ralis, was presented by the general to the
first man who sealed the wall of a besieged
city. It was made of gold, and decorated
with turrets.—V. Corona Castrknsis or Val-
laris, was presented to the first soldier who
surmounted the vallum, and forced an en-
trance into the enemy's camp. This crown
was made of gold, and ornamented with the
palisades (ra/li) used in forming an entrench-
ment.-— VI. Corona Trivmphalis. There
were three sorts of triumphal crowns : the
first was made of laurel or bay leaves, and
was worn round the head of the commander
during his triumph ; the second was of gold,
which, being too large and massive to be
worn, was held over the head of the general
during his triumph, by a public officer. This
crown, as well as the former one, was pre-
sented to the victorious general by his army.
The third kind, likewise of gold and of great
value, was sent as a present from the pro-
vinces to the commander. [Aurvm Corona-
kium.]—VII. Corona Ovalis, was given to
a commander who obtained only an ovation.
It was made of myrtle.—VIII. Corona Olf-
agina, was made of the olive leaf, and con-
ferred upon the soldiers as well as their com-
manders.—The Greeks in general made but
little use of crowns as rewards of valour in
the earlier periods of their history, except as
prizes in the athletic contests; but previous
to the time of Alexander, crowns of gold