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custom, common to both Greeks and Romans, to mix the flowers
of their chaplets in their wine, when they pledged the healths of
their friends. Cleopatra, to ridicule the mistrust of Antony, who
would never eat or drink at her table without causing his taster to
test every viand, lest any should be poisoned, commanded a chaplet
of flowers to be prepared for the Roman General, the edges of
which were dipped in the most deadlv poison, whilst that which
was woven for her own brow was, as usual, mixed with aromatic
spices. At the banquet Antony received his coronet of flowers,
and when they had become cheerful through the aid of Bacchus,
Cleopatra pledged him in wine, and taking off the wreath from her
head, and rubbing the blossoms into her goblet, drank off the
contents. Antony was following her example, but just as he had
raised the fatal cup to his lips, the Queen seized his arm, exclaiming,
“ Cure your jealous fears, and learn that I should not have to seek
the means of your destruction, could I live without you.” She then
ordered a prisoner to be brought before them, who, on drinking the
wine from Antony’s goblet, instantly expired in their presence.
The Romans wore garlands at sacred rites, games and
festivals, on journeys and in war. When an army was freed from
a blockade its deliverer was presented with a crown composed of
the Grass growing on the spot. In modern heraldry, this crown of
Grass is called the Crown Obsidional, and appertains to the
general who has held a fortress against a besieging army and
ultimately relieved it from the assailants. To him who had saved
the life of a Roman soldier was given a chaplet of Oak-leaves : this
is the modern heraldic civic crown bestowed on a brave soldier
who has saved the life of a comrade or has rescued him after having
been taken prisoner by the enemy. The glories of all grand deeds
were signalized by the crown 'of Laurel among both Greeks and
Romans. This is the heraldic Crown Triumphant, adjudged in
our own times to a general who has achieved a signal victory.
The Romans were not allowed by law to appear in festal garlands
on ordinary occasions. Hence Caesar valtied most highly the
privilege accorded him by the Senate of wearing a Laurel crown,
because it screened his baldness, which, both by the Romans and
Jews, was considered a deformity. This crown was generally
' composed of the Alexandrian Laurel (Ruscus Hypoglossum)—the
Laurel usually depicted on busts and coins. The victors at the
athletic games were adjudged crowns differing in their composition
according to the place in which they had won their honours. Thus,
crowns of
Olive were given at the
Olympic games.
Beech, Laurel, or Palm
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9 9
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Pythian
Parsley
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Nemean
Pine
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99
99
Isthmian
It is not too much to say that Greeks and Romans employed
arlands, wreaths, and festoons of flowers on every possible
occasion; they adorned with them the sacrificial victims, the statue
of the god to whom sacrifice was offered, and the priest who performed
the rite. They placed chaplets on the brows of the dead,
and strewed their graves with floral wreaths, whilst at their funeral
feasts the parents of the departed one encircled their heads with
floral crowns. They threw them to the successful actors on the
stage. They hung with garlands the gates of their cities on days
of rejoicing. They employed floral wreaths at their nuptials.
Nearly all the plants composing these wreaths had a symbolical
meaning, and they were varied according to the seasons and the
circumstances of the wearer. The Hawthorn adorned Grecian
brides; but the bridal wreath of the Romans was usually composed
of Verbena, plucked by the bride herself. Holly wreaths
were sent as tokens of good wishes. Chaplets of Parsley and Rue
were worn to keep off evil spirits.
But the employment of garlands has by no means been confined
to the ancients. At the present day the inhabitants of India
make constant use of them. The Brahmin women, who burn
themselves on the funeral pyres of their husbands, deck their
persons with chaplets and garlands, and present wreaths to the
young women who attend them at this terrible sacrifice. The
young Indian girls adorn themselves with garlands during the
festival of Kamadeva, the god of love, which takes place during the
last days of spring. In the nuptial ceremonies of India, the garland
of flowers is still a feature which possesses a recognised symbolic
value. In Northern India garlands of the African Marigold are
placed on the trident emblem of Mahadeva, and both male and
female worshippers wear chaplets composed of the same sacred
flower on his festivals. The Moo-le-hua, a fragrant Jasmine, is
employed in China and other Eastern countries in forming wreaths
for the decoration of ladies’ hair, and an Olive crown is still the
reward of literary merit in China. The Japanese of both sexes
are fond of wearing wreaths of fragrant blossoms.
The Italians have artificers called Festaroli, whose especial
office it is to manufacture garlands and festoons of flowers and
other decorations for feasts. The maidens of Greece, Germany,
and Roumania still bear wreaths of flowers in certain processions
which have long been customary in the spring of the year. The
Swiss peasants are fond of making garlands, for rural festivities, of
the Globe-flower {Twllius EuvopcBUs), which grows freely on all the
chain of the Alps. In Germany a wreath of Vervain is presented
to the newly-married, and in place of the wreath of Orange-
blossoms which decorates the brow of the bride in England, France,
and America, a chaplet of Myrtle is worn. The blossom of the
Bizamde or bitter Orange is most prized for wreaths and favours
when the fresh flowers can be procured.
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