CŎRŌNA (στέφανος), a crown, that is, a circular ornament of metal,
leaves, or flowers, worn by the ancients round the head or neck,
and used as a festive as well as funereal decoration, and as a
reward of talent, military or naval prowess, and civil worth. Its
first introduction as an honorary reward is attributable to the
athletic games, in some of which it was bestowed as a prize upon
the victor. It was the only reward contended for by the Spartans in
their gymnic contests, and was worn by them when going to battle.
The Romans refined upon the practice of the Greeks, and invented a
great variety of crowns formed of different materials, each with a
separate appellation, and appropriated to a particular purpose.--I.
CORONA OBSIDIONALIS. Amongst the honorary crowns bestowed by the
Romans for military achievements, the most difficult of attainment,
and the one which conferred the highest honour, was the _corona
obsidionalis_, presented by a beleaguered army after its liberation
to the general who broke up the siege. It was made of grass, or weeds
and wild flowers, thence called _corona graminea_, and _graminea
obsidionalis_, gathered from the spot on which the beleaguered
army had been enclosed.--II. CORONA CIVICA, the second in honour
and importance, was presented to the soldier who had preserved the
life of a Roman citizen in battle. It was made of the leaves of the
oak. The soldier who had acquired this crown had a place reserved
next to the senate at all the public spectacles; and they, as well
as the rest of the company, rose up upon his entrance. He was freed
from all public burthens, as were also his father, and his paternal
grandfather; and the person who owed his life to him was bound, ever
after, to cherish his preserver as a parent, and afford him all such
offices as were due from a son to his father.--III. CORONA NAVALIS or
ROSTRATA, called also CLASSICA. It is difficult to determine whether
these were two distinct crowns, or only two denominations for the
same one. It seems probable that the _navalis corona_, besides being
a generic term, was inferior in dignity to the latter, and given to
the sailor who first boarded an enemy’s ship; whereas the _rostrata_
was given to a commander who destroyed the whole fleet, or gained
any very signal victory. At all events, they were both made of gold;
and one at least (_rostrata_) decorated with the beaks of ships like
the _rostra_ in the forum. The Athenians likewise bestowed golden
crowns for naval services; sometimes upon the person who got his
trireme first equipped, and at others upon the captain who had his
vessel in the best order.--IV. CORONA MURALIS, was presented by the
general to the first man who scaled the wall of a besieged city. It
was made of gold, and decorated with turrets.--V. CORONA CASTRENSIS
or VALLARIS, was presented to the first soldier who surmounted the
_vallum_, and forced an entrance into the enemy’s camp. This crown
was made of gold, and ornamented with the palisades (_valli_) used
in forming an entrenchment.--VI. CORONA TRIUMPHALIS. There were
three sorts of triumphal crowns: the first was made of laurel or
bay leaves, and was worn round the head of the commander during his
triumph; the second was of gold, which, being too large and massive
to be worn, was held over the head of the general during his triumph,
by a public officer. This crown, as well as the former one, was
presented to the victorious general by his army. The third kind,
likewise of gold and of great value, was sent as a present from the
provinces to the commander. [AURUM CORONARIUM.]--VII. CORONA OVALIS,
was given to a commander who obtained only an ovation. It was made
of myrtle.--VIII. CORONA OLEAGINA, was made of the olive leaf,
and conferred upon the soldiers as well as their commanders.--The
Greeks in general made but little use of crowns as rewards of valour
in the earlier periods of their history, except as prizes in the
athletic contests; but previous to the time of Alexander, crowns of
gold were profusely distributed, amongst the Athenians at least,
for every trifling feat, whether civil, naval, or military, which,
though lavished without much discrimination as far as regards the
character of the receiving parties, were still subjected to certain
legal restrictions in respect of the time, place, and mode in which
they were conferred. They could not be presented but in the public
assemblies, and with the consent, that is by suffrage, of the people,
or by the senators in their council, or by the tribes to their own
members, or by the δημόται to members of their own δῆμος. According
to the statement of Aeschines, the people could not lawfully present
crowns in any place except in their assembly, nor the senators
except in the senate-house; nor, according to the same authority,
in the theatre, which is, however, denied by Demosthenes; nor at
the public games, and if any crier there proclaimed the crowns he
was subject to _atimia_. Neither could any person holding an office
receive a crown whilst he was ὑπεύθυνος, that is, before he had
passed his accounts.--The second class of crowns were emblematical
and not honorary, and the adoption of them was not regulated by
law, but custom. Of these there were also several kinds.--I. CORONA
SACERDOTALIS, was worn by the priests (_sacerdotes_), with the
exception of the pontifex maximus and his minister (_camillus_),
as well as the bystanders, when officiating at the sacrifice. It
does not appear to have been confined to any one material.--II.
CORONA FUNEBRIS and SEPULCHRALIS. The Greeks first set the example
of crowning the dead with chaplets of leaves and flowers, which was
imitated by the Romans. Garlands of flowers were also placed upon
the bier, or scattered from the windows under which the procession
passed, or entwined about the cinerary urn, or as a decoration to
the tomb. In Greece these crowns were commonly made of parsley.--III.
CORONA CONVIVIALIS. The use of chaplets at festive entertainments
sprung likewise from Greece. They were of various shrubs and flowers,
such as roses (which were the choicest), violets, myrtle, ivy,
_philyra_, and even parsley.--IV. CORONA NUPTIALIS. The bridal wreath
was also of Greek origin, among whom it was made of flowers plucked
by the bride herself, and not bought, which was of ill omen. Amongst
the Romans it was made of _verbena_, also gathered by the bride
herself, and worn under the _flammeum_, with which the bride was
always enveloped. The bridegroom also wore a chaplet. The doors of
his house were likewise decorated with garlands, and also the bridal
couch.--V. CORONA NATALITIA, the chaplet suspended over the door of
the vestibule, both in the houses of Athens and Rome, in which a
child was born. At Athens, when the infant was male, the crown was
made of olive; when female, of wool. At Rome it was of laurel, ivy,
or parsley.
[Illustration: Females with Crowns. (From an ancient Painting.)]
CŎRŌNIS (κορωνίς), the cornice of an entablature, is properly a Greek
word signifying anything curved. It is also used by Latin writers,
but the genuine Latin word for a _cornice_ is _corona_ or _coronix_.
CORTĪNA, the name of the table or hollow slab, supported by a tripod,
upon which the priestess at Delphi sat to deliver her responses; and
hence the word is used for the oracle itself. The Romans made tables
of marble or bronze after the pattern of the Delphian tripod, which
they used as we do our sideboards, for the purpose of displaying
their plate at an entertainment. These were termed _cortinae
Delphicae_, or _Delphicae_ simply.
CŎRỸBANTĬCA (κορυβαντικά), a festival and mysteries celebrated at
Cnossus in Crete, by the Corybantes. (See _Class. Dict._, CORYBANTES.)