A ROMAN TRIUMPH

Valerius received the first triumph of the Roman Republic. A triumph was a grand procession honoring a victorious general. The city became a holiday with garlands and flowers. The victor rode in a gilded chariot drawn by four white horses, wearing purple robes and a laurel crown, holding an ivory scepter. Lictors surrounded him. Prisoners of war walked in chains; soldiers carried spoils, weapons, and signs naming conquered cities. The procession wound up to the Capitol, where the general sacrificed a gilded bull to the gods. Servants burned incense along the route. To prevent pride, a slave sat behind the general whispering: "Remember you are nothing but a man." A tinkling bell reminded him that criminals also heard bells on their way to execution.