Grass Crown

The corona obsidionalis (illustration from Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 1885)

The Grass Crown (Latin: corona graminea) or Blockade Crown (corona obsidionalis) was the highest and rarest of all military decorations in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire.[1] 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.[2]

  1. ^ Carlin A. Barton (2001). Roman Honor: The Fire in the Bones. University of California Press. pp. 52–. ISBN 978-0-520-92564-9.
  2. ^ Carruthers, Emile (2017-05-04). "The Ancient Origins of the Flower Crown". The Iris. The Getty. Retrieved 2019-02-14.

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