Spolia opima
Spolia opima ( Latin for rich booty , nominative plural for Latin spolium, booty, robbery and opimus, fat, rich , transferred (captured) armor of a general ) is the name of a man captured by the Roman military leader himself in a duel during the time of the Roman Republic Armor of a defeated enemy general. The prey pieces were divided into prima , secunda and tertia spolia , i.e. prey pieces of the first, second and third rank, which were consecrated accordingly either to Iuppiter Feretrius , Mars or Quirinus .
In Roman history, only Romulus against Acron, Aulus Cornelius Cossus against Lars Tolumnius and Marcus Claudius Marcellus against Viridomarus succeeded in capturing the armor of an enemy leader by a Roman general . The claim of Marcus Licinius Crassus (a grandson of the triumvir of the same name ), after a victory over the leader of the Bastarner in 29 BC. To consecrate the spolia opima as well, Augustus rejected because Crassus was not the supreme commander, but only sub-general of Augustus.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Plutarch Romulus 16
- ↑ Titus Livius Ab urbe condita 4,20,5-6
- ↑ Valerius Maximus 3,2,3; 3.2.6