ROM067-KC
King & Country
Among the leading elements of any triumph were ‘The Lictors’ in their blood-red robes, their ‘fasces’ gathered in tight bundles and held by blood-red ribbons. ‘Fasces’ is a bound bundle of wooden rods that includes an axe with its blade emerging. It symbolized a Roman Emperor’s power to both punish and protect his subjects.
Many centuries later, the ancient Roman symbol of the ‘Fasces’ would become the foremost symbol of the Fascist Regime of Italy’s dictator Benito Mussolini and would feature on flags, statues, badges and medals.
The Roman Triumph’ (in latin ‘Triumphus’), was a civil ceremony and religious rite of Ancient Rome held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Rome’s forces to victory in the service of the State or, in some historical traditions, one who had successfully completed a foreign war.
On the day of the ‘Triumph’ the victor would lead a magnificent parade through The streets of the ancient city accompanied by his army, defeated captives and the ‘spoils of war’ taken from the vanquished.
Thousands of victorious soldiers would take part followed by hundreds of their sullen and dejected prisoners all of them cheered by and jeered at along the route by hundreds of thousands of Rome’s jupilant citizens.
After the day-long parade and the sacrifices made at the Temple of Jupiter (and for several days afterwards) spectacular games and entertainments would be held to placate and please the Roman masses.