{{Short description|Type of Roman celebration of military victory}} {{other uses}}

The '''ovation''' ({{langx|la|ovatio}} from ''ovare'': to rejoice) was a lesser form<ref>Oxford English Dictionary</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Maxfield |first=Valerie A.|author-link=Valerie Maxfield|title=The Military Decorations of the Roman Army |year=1981 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=978-0-520-04499-9 |pages=104–105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nuex2PW7QR0C&pg=PA104 |access-date=6 October 2011 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Goldsworthy">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3t8hBAAAQBAJ&q=augustus+biography+Thurinus+name|title=Augustus: First Emperor of Rome|last=Goldsworthy|first=Adrian|date= 2014|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-21666-0|language=en|page=121}}</ref>

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.

== Ovation holders == ===Republic=== There were 23 known ovations during the Republic.<ref>G. Rohde. ''Ovatio'', RE XVIII, 1939, pp. 1890–1903</ref> * 503 BC – Publius Postumius Tubertus (over Sabines)<ref>Pliny the Elder, '' Naturalis Historia'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D15%3Achapter%3D38 15:38]</ref> * 487 BC – Gaius Aquillius Tuscus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=45 pp. 19–20]</ref> * 474 BC – Gnaeus Manlius Vulso<ref name=fasti_1>[http://www.attalus.org/translate/fasti.html Fasti Triumphales]</ref> * 462 BC – T. Veturius Geminus Cicurinus<ref name=fasti_1/> * 421 BC – Cn. Fabius Vibulanus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=95 pp. 69–70]</ref> * 410 BC – C. Valerius Potitus Volusus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=103 p. 77]</ref> * 390 BC – Marcus Manlius Capitolinus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=118 p. 92]</ref> * 360 BC – Marcus Fabius Ambustus<ref name=fasti_1/> * 290 or 289 BC – M. Curius Dentatus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=209 pp. 183–184]</ref> * 211 BC – M. Claudius Marcellus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=299 pp. 273–274]</ref> * 207 BC – Gaius Claudius Nero<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=320 p. 294]</ref> * 200 BC – Lucius Cornelius Lentulus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=350 p. 324]</ref> * 196 BC – Cn. Cornelius Blasius<ref name=fasti_1/> * 195 BC – M. Helvius<ref name=fasti_1/> * 191 BC – Marcus Fulvius Nobilior<ref name=fasti_1/> * 185 BC – L. Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=399 p. 373]</ref> * 182 BC – A. Terentius Varro<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'' [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001;view=1up;seq=409 p. 383]</ref> * 174 BC – Ap. Claudius Centho<ref name=fasti_1/> * 132 BC – M. Perperna<ref>Florus, ''Epitome of Roman History'', book 2:7–8</ref> * 99 BC – M. Aquilius<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton. [http://www.sfb600.uni-trier.de/filebase/A2/mrr2.pdf ''The magistrates of the Roman Republic'', p. 3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421071841/http://www.sfb600.uni-trier.de/filebase/A2/mrr2.pdf |date=2015-04-21 }}</ref> * 71 BC – M. Licinius Crassus<ref>Plutarch, ''The Life of Crassus'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Crassus*.html#11 11:8]</ref> * 44 BC – Julius Caesar<ref name=fasti_1/> * 40 BC – Augustus<ref name=fasti_1/> * 40 BC – Marcus Antonius<ref name=fasti_1/> * 36 BC – Augustus<ref name=fasti_1/>

===Principate=== * 11 BC – Nero Claudius Drusus<ref>Lendering, Jona, ''[https://www.livius.org/ro-rz/rome/rome_arch_drusus.html Arch of Drusus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008041310/http://www.livius.org/ro-rz/rome/rome_arch_drusus.html |date=2015-10-08 }}''</ref> * 9 BC (approved in 11 BC) – Tiberius<ref>Suetonius, ''The Life of Tiberius'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Tiberius*.html#9 9]</ref> * 20 – Drusus Julius Caesar<ref>Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott. ''The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C. – A.D. 69'', p. 554</ref> * 40 – Caligula<ref>Suetonius, ''The Life of Caligula'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Caligula*.html#49 49]</ref> * 47 – Aulus Plautius<ref>Tacitus, "Annales" (xiii. 32)</ref> * 55 – Nero<ref>Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott. ''The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C. – A.D. 69'', p. 224</ref> * 93 – Domitian<ref>John Donahue, ''[http://www.luc.edu/roman-emperors/domitian.htm Titus Flavius Domitianus (A.D. 81–96)]''</ref>

== See also == {{Portal|Ancient Rome}} *{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Ovation |volume=20 |short=x}} * Roman triumph * Roman triumphal honours * Standing ovation

==Notes== {{Reflist|2}}

Category:Military awards and decorations of ancient Rome