Ovation

Last updated December 18, 2024

The ovation (Latin : ovatio from ovare: to rejoice) was a lesser form^[1] 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.

Ovation holders

Republic

There were 23 known ovations during the Republic.^[4]

503 BC – Publius Postumius Tubertus (over Sabines)^[5]
487 BC – Gaius Aquillius Tuscus ^[6]
474 BC – Gnaeus Manlius Vulso ^[7]
462 BC – T. Veturius Geminus Cicurinus^[7]
421 BC – Cn. Fabius Vibulanus^[8]
410 BC – C. Valerius Potitus Volusus^[9]
390 BC – Marcus Manlius Capitolinus ^[10]
360 BC – Marcus Fabius Ambustus ^[7]
290 or 289 BC – M. Curius Dentatus ^[11]
211 BC – M. Claudius Marcellus ^[12]
207 BC – Gaius Claudius Nero ^[13]
200 BC – Lucius Cornelius Lentulus ^[14]
196 BC – Cn. Cornelius Blasius^[7]
195 BC – M. Helvius^[7]
191 BC – Marcus Fulvius Nobilior ^[7]
185 BC – L. Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus ^[15]
182 BC – A. Terentius Varro^[16]
174 BC – Ap. Claudius Centho^[7]
132 BC – M. Perperna ^[17]
99 BC – M. Aquilius ^[18]
71 BC – M. Licinius Crassus ^[19]
44 BC – Julius Caesar ^[7]
40 BC – Augustus ^[7]
40 BC – Marcus Antonius ^[7]
36 BC – Augustus^[7]

Principate

11 BC – Nero Claudius Drusus ^[20]
9 BC (approved in 11 BC) – Tiberius ^[21]
20 – Drusus Julius Caesar ^[22]
40 – Caligula ^[23]
47 – Aulus Plautius ^[24]
55 – Nero ^[25]
93 – Domitian ^[26]

Notes

↑ Oxford English Dictionary
↑ Maxfield, Valerie A. (1981). The Military Decorations of the Roman Army. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-0-520-04499-9 . Retrieved 6 October 2011.
↑ Goldsworthy, Adrian (2014). Augustus: First Emperor of Rome. Yale University Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-300-21666-0.
↑ G. Rohde. Ovatio, RE XVIII, 1939, pp. 1890–1903
↑ Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 15:38
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 19–20
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fasti Triumphales
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 69–70
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 77
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 92
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 183–184
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 273–274
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 294
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 324
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 373
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 383
↑ Florus, Epitome of Roman History, book 2:7–8
↑ T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic, p. 3 Archived 2015-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
↑ Plutarch, The Life of Crassus 11:8
↑ Lendering, Jona, Arch of Drusus
↑ Suetonius, The Life of Tiberius 9
↑ Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott. The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C. – A.D. 69, p. 554
↑ Suetonius, The Life of Caligula 49
↑ Tacitus, "Annales" (xiii. 32)
↑ Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott. The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C. – A.D. 69, p. 224
↑ John Donahue, Titus Flavius Domitianus (A.D. 81–96)

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[1] Oxford English Dictionary

[2] Maxfield, Valerie A. (1981). The Military Decorations of the Roman Army. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-0-520-04499-9 . Retrieved 6 October 2011.

[Goldsworthy-3] Goldsworthy, Adrian (2014). Augustus: First Emperor of Rome. Yale University Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-300-21666-0.

[4] G. Rohde. Ovatio, RE XVIII, 1939, pp. 1890–1903

[5] Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 15:38

[6] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 19–20

[fasti_1-7] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fasti Triumphales

[8] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 69–70

[9] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 77

[10] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 92

[11] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 183–184

[12] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic pp. 273–274

[13] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 294

[14] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 324

[15] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 373

[16] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic p. 383

[17] Florus, Epitome of Roman History, book 2:7–8

[18] T. Robert S. Broughton. The magistrates of the Roman Republic, p. 3 Archived 2015-04-21 at the Wayback Machine

[19] Plutarch, The Life of Crassus 11:8

[20] Lendering, Jona, Arch of Drusus

[21] Suetonius, The Life of Tiberius 9

[22] Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott. The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C. – A.D. 69, p. 554

[23] Suetonius, The Life of Caligula 49

[24] Tacitus, "Annales" (xiii. 32)

[25] Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott. The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C. – A.D. 69, p. 224

[26] John Donahue, Titus Flavius Domitianus (A.D. 81–96)

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