spolia opima

American  

[spoh-lee-uh oh-pahy-muh, -pee-, spaw-li-ah aw-pee-mah] / ˈspoʊ li ə oʊˈpaɪ mə, -ˈpi-, ˈspɔ lɪˌɑ ɔˈpi mɑ /

plural noun

1. (in ancient Rome) the arms taken by a victorious general from the leader of a defeated army.

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Etymology

Origin of spolia opima

From Latin spolia opīma “rich spoils”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spolia opima

The few trophies, taken in the saddest moments of the action, were sent in triumph to the interior and paraded as the spolia opima in San Luis and the city of Mexico.

From Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican Vol. 1 of 2 A Historical, Geographical, Political, Statistical and Social Account of That Country From the Period of the Invasion by the Spaniards to the Present Time; With a View of the Ancient Aztec Empire and Civilization; A Historical Sketch of the Late War; And Notices of New Mexico and California by Mayer, Brantz

When I had taken his weapon—the spolia opima, as we said at Mareschal College—I bid him rise, and then discoursed him on the dishonour of such a hasty defeat.

From Old Friends, Epistolary Parody by Lang, Andrew

Following all the Roman writers, I have represented Aulus Cornelius Cossus as a military tribune, when he carried the second spolia opima to the temple of Jupiter Feretrius.

From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livius, Titus

I was in some trouble, for I feared I would not find all I needed at Hartford, and wished to make a trophy of my spolia opima.

From The Physiology of Taste by Robinson, Fayette

But Robin was hanged for abducting the heiress of Edenbelly, and Alan Breck escaped from James Mohr with the spolia opima, including ‘four snuff-boxes,’ made, perhaps, by Balhaldie himself. 

From Pickle the Spy; Or, the Incognito of Prince Charles by Lang, Andrew