Roman Triumph

The Roman Triumph, especially in the Republican era was the crowning achievement of a Roman General. The procession of the Roman army, allowed within the city gates for this special event, captured leaders and slaves, and any treasure looted on campaign, was a grand spectacle of enormous proportions. The historical tradition of the ritual came to Rome from the Etruscans. The first triumphs were those celebrated by Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome himself. Rome celebrated the victory of its generals for over 1,000 years, approaching nearly 500 in total by the end of the western empire. 403 AD marked the end of the tradition as the emperor Honorius was the recipient of the last true Roman triumph.