Triumph, in ancient Rome, was the highest honor given to a victorious general. The word triumph probably came through the Etruscan language from a Greek word for a procession honoring the god Bacchus. When a victor received a triumph, he entered Rome in a chariot drawn by four horses and proceeded along the Via Sacra (Sacred Way) to the capitol. The senators walked at the head of the procession. Behind them came trumpeters, carriages bearing the spoils of war, oxen to be sacrificed, and captives in chains. Then came the general, crowned with laurel, and his children and friends. The general’s soldiers came at the end, cheering and singing. In a triumph given to honor a naval commander, nautical trophies were carried.
Under the Empire, only the emperor could receive a triumph. A great general might receive a minor celebration called an ovation.
