Roman Triumph. 433 Pons Triumphalis.-A few shattered vestiges. When a Triumph was decreed for a Roman General he passed over this bridge, and hence its name. When a warrior sought the glory of a Triumph, first he addressed the Senate, recapitulating his victories, and halting with his army, near the Temple of Bellona, ere he entered the city. If granted, at the dawn of day the warrior put on the Tunica Palmata, or Robe of Triumph, which was of purple, and gold, and crowned himself with laurel. The procession began with Senators, and their Lictors, on foot, displaying the Roman fasces, emblematical of their authority to punish, accompanied also by martial music. Carriages followed filled with the spoils of the enemy, weapons and Romans. While this monarch was encamped before the walls of Rome, Mutius determined to make an effort to save his country, though aware he must perish in the attempt. He disguised himself, and made his way into the royal tent. By mistake he attacked the King's secretary instead of his master. Immediately seised, Porsenna began to question him, but Mutius gave no other reply than that he was one of 300 who had sworn to take the invader's life or lose their own. To Por senna's threats he only said, "I am a Roman," and, thrusting his hand into the fire on the altar, because it had miscarried of its enterprise, without uttering a word, he burnt it off. (Hence his appellation of Scævola, or Left-handed.) Porsenna, surprised at these instances of valor, and patriotism, was proud to be allied to such a nation, and immediately concluded a lasting peace. The Romans, to honor the humanity he had shown to captives in war, raised a brazen statue to his glory. Livy, book ii. cap. 12. 434 Roman Triumph. implements of war, their choicest works of art, their treasures, and golden stores, with pictures and effigies, sometimes formed in silver, of their country, their productions, their scenery, their Deities. The milk white Bulls, fed on the banks of Clitumnus's sacred stream, with purple trappings, gilded horns, and wreaths of flowers, walked unconscious of the priests, and the axe carried with them, for their own approaching slaughter, and sacrifice to Jupiter Capitolinus.* The Kings, and the Conquerors who were conquered, came next, fettered with silver chains, and with shaven heads as a badge of slavery. After other ceremonials, and the procession of the foreign beasts of the distant conquered regions, the victor appear'd in his ivory chariot chased with gold, or sometimes entirely of silver; four or six horses abreast drew it, or, if he preferred them lions, tigers, elephants, or rein deer. The Roman warrior, aloft in his car, had his children with him, while his relatives, and friends, bearing laurel, walked by his side. Lictors, and trumpets preceded his approach, whilst golden cen *The streams of the river Clitumnus, in Campania, were supposed to turn white the oxen which laved in them. Jupiter himself was worshipped as Jupiter Clitumnus, and to him were specially sacred in triumph those milk white steers, the Bull being the lordliest animal of the creation, and whose form Great Jove himself had assumed. Roman Triumph. 435 sers were wafting their fragrant perfumes to the skies. Behind the conqueror's car, a figure held a branch of palm in one hand, and suspended a crown of laurel o'er his head with the other. Yet in the midst of this splendor and pride, policy suggested a lesson of possible humiliation, for the conqueror wore on his finger an iron ring like a slave, being thus admonished to forget not the mutability of fortune. After him walked Consuls, Senators, Magistrates, Army, and People, all crowned with laurel; and those Romans, if any, whom he had redeemed from captivity having their caps on to conceal their shaven heads, and to imply a restoration to freedom. Thus then they all proceeded onward, shouting Io Triumphe, and joyful Pæans, passing through Triumphal Arches, traversing the Via Sacra, and stopping at the Capitol, where the victor dismounted to sacrifice the milk white steers, and to lay his laurels, and his spoils at the feet of Jupiter Capitolinus, or at those of Mars, the Avenger. Gifts to the populace, with a public feast concluded the auspicious day. The Triumph decreed to Paulus Æmylius for his victory over Perseus, King of Macedonia, lasted three days: seven hundred and fifty chariots were filled with works of art, and similar costly spoils of the enemy :-independently of a proportionate number filled with the military and martial tro 436 Roman Triumph. phies captured: one hundred and twenty milk white steers decked with garlands and with horns gilt, were led to sacrifice; three thousand Romans bore aloft the silver coins contained in seven hundred and fifty vases; followed by others laden with golden coins that filled seventy-vessels :—while further gold and silver goblets, pateræ, vases, &c. displayed in dazzling heaps, glittered in the sunny light of day. Then came the chariot of the fallen monarch, his armour, his jewels, the peculiar golden plate served at his own table; his diadem:-His hapless infants followed who stretched forth their little hands for pity, and made even Romans weep; and with them was their father now a suppliant, and a captive;-a sovereign, and a monarch, alas! no more. Finally came the proud conqueror borne aloft in his magnificent car, preceded by the display of the four hundred crowns of gold decreed to him by various cities as trophies of his victories. Rome's great ambition was military glory, and conquest. What incentives could be devised more inspiring, or splendid than these? In one part of the Tiber is an island whose formation is owing to a singular historical recollection. When Tarquin the Proud was dethroned, and expelled for his vices, the indignant populace threw his possessions into this river, nor would they, rom their horror of the tyrant, appropriate to them The Sacred Island. 437 selves any matter that had been his. So abundant was the corn gathered from his field situated between the city and the Tiber, consecrated to Mars, and afterwards called the Campus Martius, that it resisted the tide of the river, and naturally acquiring fresh stability every day at length formed the present island.* Where now shall we find a populace which would disdain thus easily to feed, and enrich themselves solely from a principle of patriotism! This artificial island was subsequently fortified by a wall; and in the year of Rome 461, the city being afflicted with a pestilence, the Sybilline books were consulted, and in consequence of their mystic meaning, "Esculapium ab Epidauro Romam accersendum"-Esculapius was to be fetched from Epidaurus to Rome-ambassadors were dispatched to that temple of the God. Arrived here, the sacred serpent of the deity came on board their ship, and when on their return to the Tiber they floated past this island he quitted the vessel for that abode, and never more was seen. The pestilence instantly was stayed; the isle in commemoration of the deed was shaped into the form of a ship, it was dignified as the Sacred Island, and a temple was vowed, and erected to the God of Healing. † On the scite of this very temple is now the church of St. Bartholomew; but it was the recol * Livy, b. ii. chap. v. + Livy, b. x. and xi. |
