WIVES OF TIIK (LESAKS. 135 



glory of her son, was lavish of expense to give the utmost splendour 

 to the approaching pageant of the conqueror. Since the memorable 

 triumph of Emilius over Perseus, king of Macedon, nothing had ap- 

 proached the grandeur displayed on this occasion. The emissaries 

 of the Palatine had roused the expectation of the people ; and from 

 the triumphal gate, by Pompey's theatre, by that of Balbus in all 

 the wider spaces on the line of the procession, the plebeains, dressed 

 in holiday attire, presented a dense and living mass of eager specta- 

 tors. The chiefs of the vanquished nations walked in chains ; and 

 the lieutenants of Tiberius, who bore, through his solicitation, the 

 triumphal ornaments, accompanied his progress, and enhanced by 

 their celebrity and splendour the pomp of the solemnity. The gor- 

 geous chariot of Tiberius was drawn by four superb white steeds in 

 rich caparison ; he himself, arrayed in purple, magnificently wrought 

 in gold with the symbolic palm,* and holding in his hand a laurel 

 branch, was hailed with deafening acclamations. The person of the 

 triumphant chief was eminently fitted to the splendid dignity of 

 the procession ; for though his physiognomy revealed to an acute 

 beholder that commingled sarcasm and ferocity, which were 

 the prevailing feelings of his gloomy nature, Tiberius could re- 

 lieve the stern expression of his countenance with a smile of simu- 

 lated affability. His figure was symmetrical, robust, and tall ; 

 his eyes particularly large and penetrating, and his complexion 

 pale ; his locks fell backwards half way down his neck, and the 

 haughty bearing of his head, encircled with the laurel crown, 

 united with his imperturbable and cold demeanour, gave an air of 

 Stoical effect to the superb solemnity in honour of his wise and 

 valorous achievements. The triumphal car was followed by the army 

 of the victor the companions of his peril, and associates in his glory, 

 each with a branch of laurel in his hand, reciting in enthusiastic 

 hymns the valour of their chief. Augustus, seated in the Tribune of 

 Harangues, presided at the ceremony ; and when Tiberius reached 

 the forum, on his progress to the Capitol, he descended from his 

 chariot, and kneeling, rendered homage for his honours to the father 

 of the Roman people ! The clamour of the multitude which accom- 

 panied the victor on his progress, and resounded through the hills of 

 Rome from the Esqueline to the Janiculum, was instantaneously suc- 

 ceeded by an universal silence. The striking aspect of the moment, 

 far as the eye could reach, the innumerable concourse of devoted 

 citizens, united in a common sentiment of loyalty and reverence, and 

 sharing the generous rapture of their prince a scene of concord and 

 consummate happiness upon the very site of former faction and fe- 

 rocity electrically touched the memory of Augustus ; the vivid 

 contrast flashed upon his senses, and an involuntary pang was 

 whelmed in the involving peace r.nd glory of the present hour. 

 Augustus manifested a momentary but profound emotion, to which 

 the ready sensibility of the surrounding multitude replied ; Tiberius 



* "Romanorum Imperatorum insigne fuit sella curulus, sicut etiam palmala 

 toga dicitur, quam merebantur ii, qui dehostibus palmam reportassent." Ser- 

 ving, ad vers, 332. 1. 2. JEneid. Vide et Rosinum de Triumph, p. 780, 781. 



