A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (Ruscus hypoglossum) or cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). It is worn as a chaplet around the head, or as a garland around the neck.
Wreaths and crowns in antiquity, including the laurel wreath, trace back to Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology, the god Apollo, who is patron of lyrical poetry, musical performance[a] and skill-based athletics, is conventionally depicted wearing a laurel wreath on his head in all three roles.[citation needed] Wreaths were awarded to victors in athletic competitions, including the ancient Olympics; for victors in athletics they were made of wild olive tree known as "kotinos" (κότινος),[1] (sc. at Olympia) – and the same for winners of musical and poetic competitions. In Rome they were symbols of martial victory, crowning a successful commander during his triumph. Whereas ancient laurel wreaths are most often depicted as a horseshoe shape, modern versions are usually complete rings.[citation needed]
In common modern idiomatic usage, a laurel wreath or "crown" refers to a victory. The expression "resting on one's laurels" refers to someone relying entirely on long-past successes for continued fame or recognition, whereas to "look to one's laurels" means to be careful of losing rank to competition.[2]
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- ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1843). "κότἲνος". A Greek-English Lexicon (1 ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-864226-8. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Look to one's laurels (sense 1)". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2012.[dead link]