The ovation was a less-honored form of the Roman triumph. Ovations were granted, when war wasn't declared between enemies on the level of states, when an enemy was considered basely inferior (slaves, pirates), and when the general conflict was resolved with little to no bloodshed or danger to the army itself. Also, generals were in theory only meant to be given ovations when victory resulted from a civil war, as for a triumph the victory had to be over a foreign enemy. The general celebrating t… (More on Ovation)