From Africa, Cæsar returned to Rome for a short time, and then went
to Spain to put down the rebellion there which was led by the sons of
Pompey. Here also he was successful, and the conqueror returned to
Rome the undisputed master of the whole Roman world. Then came his
magnificent triumphs. Cæsar celebrated four triumphs for his four great
campaigns, in Egypt, in Asia Minor, in Africa, and in Spain. These were
celebrated upon separate days. These triumphs were gorgeous in the
extreme. Forty elephants were employed as torch-bearers in one triumph
which took place at night, each elephant holding a great blazing
flambeau in his proboscis and waving it proudly in the air. These
triumphal processions are thus described by one historian. “In these
triumphal processions everything was borne in exhibition which could
serve as a symbol of the conquered country or a trophy of victory.
Flags and banners, taken from the enemy; vessels of gold and silver
and other treasures loaded in vans; wretched captives conveyed in open
carriages, or marching sorrowfully on foot, and destined, some of
them, to public execution when the ceremony of the triumph was ended;
displays of arms and implements and dresses and all else which might
serve to give the Roman crowd an idea of the customs and usages of the
remote and conquered nations; the animals they used caparisoned in the
manner in which they used them; these and a thousand other trophies
and emblems were brought into the line to excite the admiration of
the crowd, and to add to the gorgeousness of the spectacle. In these
triumphs of Cæsar a young sister of Cleopatra, wearing chains of
gold, was in the line of the Egyptian procession. In that devoted to
Asia Minor was a great banner containing the words already referred
to, Veni, Vidi, Vici. There were great paintings, too, borne aloft,
representing battles and other striking scenes. Of course, all Rome was
in the highest state of excitement during the days of the exhibition of
this pageantry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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