The practice was used in the classical age by the Greeks and Romans.
Homer's
Iliad relates the practice of warriors in the
Trojan War removing the armour and weapons of a killed opponent in order to make an offering to the gods. This was contrasted to mere
booty. Trophies of arms were commonly depicted on Greek and Roman coins. In England a tradition of making trophies of arms and armour, designed to display British military prowess, was established in the armoury of the
Tower of London from the late 17th century. In about 1700, John Harris created an impressive display in the Grand Storehouse which included a serpent and a seven-headed
Hydra, together with a variety of weapons including muskets, pistols and swords. The antiquarian William Maitland described it as a sight "no one ever beheld without astonishment...not to be matched perhaps in the world". ==Constituent elements==