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A Roman Triumph from the Life of Paulus Aemilius Paulus Aemilius, advanced in years, being nearly threescore, yet
vigorous in his own person, and rich in valiant sons and sons-in-
law, besides a great number of influential relations and friends,
all of whom joined in urging him to yield to the desires of the
people, who called him to the consulship. He at first manifested
some shyness of the people, and withdrew himself from their
importunity, professing reluctance to hold office; but, when they
daily came to his doors, urging him to come forth to the place of
election, and pressing him with noise and clamor, he acceded to
their request. When he appeared amongst the candidates, it did not
look as if it were to sue for the consulship, but to bring victory
and success, that he came down into the Campus; with such hopes
and such gladness did they all receive him there, unanimously
choosing him a second time consul; nor would they suffer the lots
to be cast, as was usual, to determine which province should fall
to his share, but immediately decreed him the command of the
Macedonian war. It is told, that when he had been proclaimed
general against Perseus, and was honorably accompanied home by
great numbers of people, he found his daughter Tertia, a very
little girl, weeping, and taking her to him asked her why she was
crying. She, catching him about the neck and kissing him, said, "O
father, do you not know that Perseus is dead?" meaning a little
dog of that name who had been brought up in the house with her; to
which Aemilius replied, "Good fortune, my daughter; I embrace the
omen." Thus Cicero, the orator, relates in his book on divination.
The triumph of Aemilius over Perseus was performed in this manner. The people erected scaffolds in the Forum, in the circuses, as
they call their buildings, for horse-races, and in all other parts
of the city where they could best behold the show. The spectators
were clad in white garments; all the temples were open, and full
of garlands and perfumes; the ways were cleared and kept open by
numerous officers, who drove back all who crowded into or ran
across the main avenue. This triumph lasted three days. On the
first, which was scarcely long enough for the sight, were to be
seen the statues, pictures, and colossal images, which were taken
from the enemy, drawn upon two hundred and fifty chariots. On the
second, was carried in a great many wagons the finest and richest
armor of the Macedonians, both of brass and steel, all newly
polished and glittering; the pieces of which were piled up and
arranged purposely with the greatest art, so as to seem to be
tumbled in heaps carelessly and by chance; helmets were thrown
upon shields, coats of mail upon greaves; Cretan targets, and
Thracian bucklers and quivers of arrows, lay huddled amongst
horses' bits, and through these there appeared the points of naked
swords, intermixed with long Macedonian sarissas. All these arms
were fastened together with just so much looseness that they
struck against one another as they were drawn along, and made a
harsh and alarming noise, so that, even as spoils of a conquered
enemy, they could not be beheld without dread. After these wagons
loaded with armor, there followed three thousand men who carried
the silver that was coined, in seven hundred and fifty vessels,
each of which weighed three talents, and was carried by four men.
Others brought silver bowls and goblets and cups, all disposed in
such order as to make the best show, and all curious as well for
their size as the solidity of their embossed work. On the third day, early in the morning, first came the trumpeters,
who did not sound as they were wont in a procession or solemn
entry, but such a charge as the Romans use when they encourage the
soldiers to fight. Next followed young men wearing frocks with
ornamented borders, who led to the sacrifice a hundred and twenty
stalled oxen, with their horns gilded, and their heads adorned
with ribbons and garlands; and with these were boys that carried
basins for libation, of silver and gold. After this was brought
the gold coin, which was divided into vessels that weighed three
talents, like those that contained the silver; they were in number
seventy-seven. These were followed by those that brought the
consecrated bowl which Aemilius had caused to be made, that
weighed ten talents, and was set with precious stones. Then were
exposed to view the cups of Antigonus and Seleucus, and those of
the Thericlean make (Thericles, according to the more probable
supposition, was a Corinthian potter: the first maker of a
particular kind of cup, which long continued to bear his name.)
and all the gold plate that was used at Perseus' table. Next to
these came Perseus' chariot, in which his armor was placed, and on
that his diadem. And, after a little intermission, the king's
children were led captives, and with them a train of their
attendants, masters, and teachers, all shedding tears, and
stretching out their hands to the spectators, and making the
children themselves also beg and entreat their compassion. There
were two sons and a daughter whose tender age made them but little
sensible of the greatness of their misery, which very
insensibility of their condition rendered it the more deplorable;
insomuch that Perseus himself was scarcely regarded as he went
along, whilst pity fixed the eyes of the Romans upon the infants;
many of them could not forbear tears, and all beheld the sight
with a mixture of sorrow and pleasure, until the children had
passed. After his children and their attendants came Perseus himself, clad
all in black, and wearing the boots of his country; and looking
like one altogether stunned and deprived of reason, through the
greatness of his misfortunes. Next followed a great company of his
friends and familiars, whose countenances were disfigured with
grief, and who let the spectators see, by their tears and their
continual looking upon Perseus, that it was his fortune they so
much lamented, and that they were regardless of their own. Perseus
sent to Aemilius to entreat that he might not be led in pomp, but
be left out of the triumph; who, deriding, as was but just, his
cowardice and fondness of life, sent him this answer, that as for
that, it had been before, and was now, in his own power; giving
him to understand that the disgrace could be avoided by death;
which the faint-hearted man not having the spirit for, and made
effeminate by I know not what hopes, allowed himself to appear as
a part of his own spoils. After these were carried four hundred
crowns, all made of gold, sent from the cities by their respective
deputations to Aemilius, in honor of his victory. Then he himself
came, seated on a chariot magnificently adorned (a man well worthy
to be looked at, even without these ensigns of power), dressed in
a robe of purple, interwoven with gold, and holding a laurel
branch in his right hand. All the army, in like manner, with
boughs of laurel in their hands, divided into their bands and
companies, followed the chariot of their commander; some singing
verses, according to the usual custom, mingled with raillery;
others, songs of triumph, and the praise of Aemilius's deeds; who,
indeed, was admired and accounted happy by all men, and unenvied
by every one that was good; except so far as it seems the province
of some god to lessen that happiness which is too great and
inordinate, and so to mingle the affairs of human life that no one
should be entirely free from calamities; but, as we read in
Homer*, only those should think themselves truly blessed to whom
fortune has given an equal share of good and evil. * "Grief is useless; cease to lament," Achilles to Priam, his
suppliant for the body of Hecor. "For thus have the gods appointed
for mortal men; that they should live in vexation, while the gods
themselves are untroubled. Two vessels are set upon the threshold
of Zeus, of the gifts that he dispenses; one of evil things, the
other of good; he who receives from both at the hand of thundering
Zeus, meets at one time with evil, and at another with good; he
who receives from only one, is a miserable wretch."
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