Civic Crown

Last updated September 09, 2023

The Civic Crown (Latin : corona civica) was a military decoration during the Roman Republic and the subsequent Roman Empire, given to Romans who saved the lives of fellow citizens. It was regarded as the second highest decoration to which a citizen could aspire (the Grass Crown being held in higher regard). It took the form of a chaplet of common oak leaves woven to form a crown. It was reserved for Roman citizens who saved the lives of fellow citizens by slaying an enemy on a spot held by the enemy that same day. The citizen saved must admit it; no one else could be a witness.^[1]

History

After Sulla's constitutional reforms, any recipient of the Civic Crown was entitled entry into the Roman Senate.^{[ citation needed ]} Furthermore, the recipient was required by law to wear his crown at every public gathering, and was applauded even by men much senior to himself.^{[ citation needed ]} It later became a prerogative for Roman emperors to be awarded the Civic Crown (originating with Augustus, who was awarded it for saving the lives of citizens by ending the series of civil wars).

Pliny wrote about the Civic Crown at some length in Naturalis Historia :

Nor is the same honour any greater if the rescued person is a general, because the founders of this institution wished the honour to be supreme in the case of any citizen. The receiver of the wreath may wear it for the rest of his life; when he appears at the games it is the custom for even the senate always to rise at his entrance, and he has the right to sit next to the senators; and he himself and his father and his paternal grandfather are exempt from all public duties. Siccius Dentatus, as we have mentioned at the proper place, won fourteen Civic Wreaths, and Capitolinus six, one in his case being actually for saving the life of his commanding officer Servilius. Scipio Africanus refused to accept a wreath for rescuing his father at the Trebbia.^[2] How worthy of eternity is a national character that rewarded exploits so distinguished with honour only, and whereas it enhanced the value of its other wreaths with gold, refused to allow the rescue of a citizen to be a thing of price, thus loudly proclaiming that it is wrong even to save the life of a human being for the sake of gain!^[1]

Julius Caesar was awarded the Civic Crown for his service in the Siege of Mytilene in 81 BC.

Gallery

Coat of arms of Perú
Coat of arms of the First Spanish Republic. Civic Crown version
Coat of arms of Basque Country, Spain

Related Research Articles

Publius Horatius Cocles was an officer in the army of the early Roman Republic who famously defended the Pons Sublicius from the invading army of Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Clusium in the late 6th century BC, during the war between Rome and Clusium. By defending the narrow end of the bridge, he and his companions were able to hold off the attacking army long enough to allow other Romans to destroy the bridge behind him, blocking the Etruscans' advance and saving the city.

The National Order of the Legion of Honour, formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour, is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, it has been retained by all later French governments and regimes.

Marcus Manlius Capitolinus was consul of the Roman Republic in 392 BC. He was the brother of Aulus Manlius Capitolinus, consular tribune five times between 389 and 370 BC. The Manlii were one of the leading patrician gentes that dominated the politics of the early Republic.

The Airman's Medal (AmnM) is a military award and decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force for personnel who distinguish themselves by heroism involving voluntary risk of their life not involving actual combat with an armed enemy of the United States. The medal was established on 6 July 1960 by 10 U.S. Code 8750 and is awarded to those service members or those of a friendly nation who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force. The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger.

The Order of Orange-Nassau is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands.

The Cross of Valour was established in 1975 as the highest Australian Bravery Award. The awards were established as part of the institution of the Australian Honours System. The Cross of Valour has been awarded to five Australian civilians and, although there has been no Australian military recipient, they would be eligible in situations where normal honours to the military do not apply.

The Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners. It was inspired by the Czech Nobility Cross created in 1814 by the Emperor and King Francis II and awarded to 37 Bohemian noblemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grass Crown</span> Highest ancient Roman military decoration

The Grass Crown or Blockade Crown was the highest and rarest of all military decorations in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was presented only to a general, commander, or officer whose actions saved a legion or the entire army. One example of actions leading to awarding of a grass crown would be a general who broke the blockade around a beleaguered Roman army. The crown took the form of a chaplet made from plant materials taken from the battlefield, including grasses, flowers, and various cereals such as wheat; it was presented to the general by the army he had saved.

The Naval Crown was a gold crown surmounted with small replicas of the prows of ships. It was a Roman military award, given to the first man who boarded an enemy ship during a naval engagement.

A mural crown is a crown or headpiece representing city walls, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the Romans a military decoration. Later the mural crown developed into a symbol of European heraldry, mostly for cities and towns, and in the 19th and 20th centuries was used in some republican heraldry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meritorious Service Cross</span> Meritorious service decoration in Canada

The Meritorious Service Cross is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, his or her Governor-in-Council. Created in 1984, the medal is intended to recognize individuals—both Canadian and foreign—who have carried out meritorious acts bringing benefit and honour in either of two categories: military and civilian.

As with most other military forces the Roman military adopted an extensive list of decorations for military gallantry and likewise a range of punishments for military transgressions.

A wreath worn for purpose of attire, is a headdress made of leaves, grasses, flowers or branches. It is typically worn in festive occasions and on holy days and has a long history and association with ancient pageants and ceremonies. Outside occasional use, the wreath can also be used as a crown, or a mark of honour. The wreath most often has an annular geometric construction.

The Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM), is a United Kingdom award for civil gallantry at sea.

The hasta pura or hasta donatica was a decoration for merit, awarded in Ancient Rome. The Roman sources do not concur about the precise character of the decoration. Some call it a decoration for valour, others mention that it had been awarded to civilians.

The Russian Federation Presidential Certificate of Honour is an honorary award bestowed by the President of the Russian Federation to deserving citizens. It was established by Presidential Decree No.487 of 11 April 2008. The statute and regulations governing this award were amended on two occasions, first on 12 January 2010 by Presidential Decree No.59 and again on 14 January 2011 by Presidential Decree No. 38.

The National Order of Merit is a state order of the Republic of Malta. The order is divided into four grades that may be awarded to Maltese citizens.

In Ancient Rome, a camp crown, also known as a vallary crown, was a military award given to the first man who penetrated into an enemy camp or field during combat. It took the form of a gold crown surmounted with replicas of the stakes of a palisade.

A chaplet is a headdress in the form of a wreath made of leaves, flowers or twigs woven into a ring. It is typically worn in festive occasions and on holy days. In ancient times it also served as a crown representing victory or authority.

In classical and late antiquity wreaths or crowns usually made of vegetation or precious metals were worn on ceremonial occasions and were awarded for various achievements. The symbolism of these different types of wreaths depended on their composition; different crowns were worn and awarded for different purposes. Such wreaths or crowns were represented in classical architecture, in ancient Greek art and sculpture, and in Roman art and sculpture. As well as being awarded for merit and military conduct, they were worn by orators, priests performing sacrifices, by the chorus in ancient Greek drama, and by attendees of a symposium.

References

1 2 Pliny (1986). "Book 16, Section 5". Natural History. The Loeb Classical Library (in Latin and English). Vol. 4. H. Rackham (trans.).
↑ It was not actually the Battle of Trebia but the Battle of Ticinus. Roman writers often found the events of Roman history as confusing as moderns do; however, it is not clear what Pliny meant by "Trebia." The honor was offered in camp at Piacenza, which is near the Trebbia river.

External links

Rich, Anthony (1875). "Corona". In Smith, William (ed.). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London: John Murray. pp. 359‑363.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Pliny16.5-1] 1 2 Pliny (1986). "Book 16, Section 5". Natural History. The Loeb Classical Library (in Latin and English). Vol. 4. H. Rackham (trans.).

[2] It was not actually the Battle of Trebia but the Battle of Ticinus. Roman writers often found the events of Roman history as confusing as moderns do; however, it is not clear what Pliny meant by "Trebia." The honor was offered in camp at Piacenza, which is near the Trebbia river.

[1]

[2]