Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

CORONA. CORONA. 359
From which lines we learn the distinction between (Aul. Gell. v. 6; Plin. H. N. xxii. 4; Festus,
the cornu and lituus, as from Ovid (Mletam. i. 98) s. v. Obsidionalis; Serv. ad Virg. Aen. viii. 128.)
we learn that between the tuba, and carnuz- A list of the few Romans who gained this honour
" Non tuba directi, non aeris cornua flexi." is given by Pliny (H. N. xxii. 4, 5). A representation of the corona gramrinea is introduced in
The following woodcut, taken from Bartholini (De the annexed woodcut. (Guichard, De Antiquis
Tibiis, p. 403), illustrates the above account. [B.J.]i Triumphis, p. 268; compare Hardouln, ad Plin.
H. N. x. 68).
COROLLA. [CORONA.]
CORO'NA (Trrdaos), a crownr that is, a
circular ornament of metal. leaves, or flowers,
worn by the ancients round the head or neck, and CIcA., the second in honour and
used as a festive as well as funeral decoration, and importace in H. N xvi. 3), was presented to
as a reward of talent, military, or naval prowess, (Pi n. H. N. xvi. 3), was presented to
and civil worth. It includes the synonymes of the soldier who had preserved the life of a Roman
the species, for which it is often used absolutely, citizen in battle. Gell. v. 6), and therefore
0aTear1iv', 0CrEdpos, 0-ETa'cCYa, corolla, sertin,, a accompanied with the inscription Ob civem servatuwn
garland or wreath. c (Senec. Clem. i. 26). It was originally made of
Judging from Hoimer's silence, it does not ap,- the ilex, afterwards of the aesculus, and finally of
pear to have been adopted amongst the Greeks of the quercus (Plin. H. N. xvi. 5), three different
the heroic ages as a reward of merit, nor as a sorts of oak, the reason for which choice is exfestive decoration; for it is not mentioned amongst plained by Plutarch (Quaest. Rom. p. 151, edl
the luxuries of the delicate Phaeacians, nor of the Reisk..). It is represented in the next woodcs
suitors. But a golden crown decorates the head
of Venus in the hymn to that goddess (I and 7).
Its first introduction as an honorary reward is
attributable to the athletic games, in some of which
it was bestowed as a prize upon the victor (Plin. 6 I
Hf. N. xv. 39; Pindar. Olymnp. iv. 36), from whence i s\
it was adopted in the Roman circus. It was the, M'l
only one contended for by the Spartans in their
gymnastic contests, and was worn by them when 4i
going to battle. i-I},
The Romans refined upon the practice of the i
Greeks, and invented a great variety of crowns s'
formed of different materials, each with a separate,,
appellation and appropriated to a particular purpose., -,
We proceed to enumerate these and their properties, including in the same detail an account of the....
corresponding ones, where any, in Greece. -,,
I. CORONA OBSIDIONALIS. Among the honorary
crowns bestowed by the Romans for military
achievements, the most difficult of attainment, and
the one which conferred the highest honour, was
the corona obsidionalis, presented by a beleaguered As the possession of this crown was so high an
army after its liberation to the general who broke up honour, its attainment was restricted by very
the siege. It was made of grass, or weeds and severe regulations (Plin. H.N. xvi. 5), so that
wild flowers (Plin. H. N. xxii. 7), thence called the following combinations must have been satiscorona graminiea (Plin. H. N. xxii. 4), and graCmi- fled before a claim was allowed: - To have prenea obsidionalis (Liv. vii. 37), gathered fromn the served the life of a Roman citizen in battle, slain
spot on which the beleaguered army had been his opponent, and maintained the ground on which
enclosed (Plin. i. c.; Aul. Gell. v. 6; Festus, the action took place. The testimony of a third
s. v. Obsidionalis); in allusion to a custom of the party was not admissible; the person rescued
early ages, in which the vanquished party in a con- must himself proclaim the fact, which increased
test of strength or agility plucked a handful of grass the difficulty of attainment, as the Roman soldier
from the meadow where the struggle took place, was commonly unwilling to acknowledge his obliand gave it to his opponent as a token of victory. gation to the prowess of a comrade, and to show'
A A,0,,4,