Ovation

The ovation (Latin: ovatio from ovare: to rejoice) was a lesser form¹ of the Roman triumph. Ovations were granted when war was not declared between enemies on the level of nations or states; when an enemy was considered basely inferior (e.g., slaves, pirates); or when the general conflict was resolved with little or no danger to the army itself.² The ovation could also be given rather than a triumph when there were extenuating circumstances, such as when Marcus Marcellus was given an ovation in lieu of a triumph as his army remained in Sicily and therefore was unable to cross the pomerium.

The general celebrating the ovation did not enter the city on a biga, a chariot pulled by two white horses, as generals celebrating triumphs did, but instead rode on horseback in the toga praetexta of a magistrate.³

The honoured general also wore a wreath of myrtle (sacred to Venus) upon his brow, rather than the triumphal wreath of laurel. The Roman Senate did not precede the general, nor did soldiers usually participate in the procession.

Perhaps the most famous ovation in history is that which Marcus Licinius Crassus celebrated after his victory of the Third Servile War.

There were 23 known ovations during the Republic.⁴

• 503 BC – Publius Postumius Tubertus (over Sabines)⁵
• 487 BC – Gaius Aquillius Tuscus⁶
• 474 BC – Gnaeus Manlius Vulso⁷
• 462 BC – T. Veturius Geminus Cicurinus⁷
• 421 BC – Cn. Fabius Vibulanus⁸
• 410 BC – C. Valerius Potitus Volusus⁹
• 390 BC – Marcus Manlius Capitolinus¹⁰
• 360 BC – Marcus Fabius Ambustus⁷
• 290 or 289 BC – M. Curius Dentatus¹¹
• 211 BC – M. Claudius Marcellus¹²
• 207 BC – Gaius Claudius Nero¹³
• 200 BC – Lucius Cornelius Lentulus¹⁴
• 196 BC – Cn. Cornelius Blasius⁷
• 195 BC – M. Helvius⁷
• 191 BC – Marcus Fulvius Nobilior⁷
• 185 BC – L. Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus¹⁵
• 182 BC – A. Terentius Varro¹⁶
• 174 BC – Ap. Claudius Centho⁷
• 132 BC – M. Perperna¹⁷
• 99 BC – M. Aquilius¹⁸
• 71 BC – M. Licinius Crassus¹⁹
• 44 BC – Julius Caesar⁷
• 40 BC – Augustus⁷
• 40 BC – Marcus Antonius⁷
• 36 BC – Augustus⁷

• 11 BC – Nero Claudius Drusus²⁰
• 9 BC (approved in 11 BC) – Tiberius²¹
• 20 – Drusus Julius Caesar²²
• 40 – Caligula²³
• 47 – Aulus Plautius²⁴
• 55 – Nero²⁵
• 93 – Domitian²⁶