CORONA. The crown of victory, termed corona, of the ancient Greeks and Romans, was what we, in this day, term a wreath. These corona: come under the following classes : Those dedicated to the victors in peaceful contests and those voted for military achievement.
The crown or garland of the victor in the Olympian and the Pythian games was of laurel, that of the winner in the Nemean contests con sisted of oak leaves, that of the Isthmian games was made from the pine tree.
The Roman coronm were mostly military and termed °triumphal.° The most important were: Celestial crown, similar to the Eastern crown (see below), but having each ray sur mounted by a small star. Civic crown (corona civica), composed of acorns and oak leaves, given as reward for saving a citizen's life in battle. Eastern crown, often termed antique crown (corona radiata, usually carries, above the gold circle, eight rays), is the Roman crown of apotheosis, but Great Britain has used it to honor successful statesmen in India and her Eastern dependencies, hence the term Eastern. Laurel crown (corona laurea), originally a martial crown, became a wreath of honor and distinction on civic occasions, and was composed of laurel leaves on their stem. Myrtle crows (corona ntyrtea), composed of myrtle leaves (myrtle was dedicated to Venus), was awarded to conquerors and used in wedding ceremonies, also placed upon the heads of the dead. Mural crown (corona murcilis) was a circle of gold surmounted by pinnacles or battlements given for great prowess in scaling a wall and attadc ing the town within. Naval crown (corona
navalis or rostrata) was a circle of gold sur mounted by prows (rostra) of boats awarded to victorious sea warriors (the British nation also uses a naval crown composed of a gold rim surmounted by four ships' sterns and four sMls alternating). Obsidianal crown (corona ob sidianalis or graminea), composed of herbs or grass, awarded to a general who delivered a town from a state of siege. Olive crown (corona oleagina), composed of olive leaves, was a crown of martial victory, the olive tree being dedicated to Minerva. Triumphal crown • (corona trittniphalis), composed of single laurel leaves closely compact. Vallary crown (corona val/aris or castrensis), composed of a circle surmounted by palisadoes, ;vas the honor con ferred on the first vrarrior to pass the enemy trenched wall (vallum) or fence and enter the foe's camp or fortress (castrum).
Among the ancient religious ceremonial crowns were the commie funebres or sepulchres, funeral chaplets of leaves and flowers; the corona convivialis,, wont at banquets, etc., and the corona natal's., suspended over the door where a birth had taken place (at Athens olive for a boy, wool for a girl). The nuptial crown (corona nuptialis) was composed of flowers (verbena preferred) plucked by the bride herself. See Caowns AND CORONETS.