Triumph (Rome) - Historical and Cultural Background

Historical and Cultural Background

April 12, 45 BC was the date of Caesar's famous "Gallic Triumph". The Battle of Munda, which occurred March 17, 45 BC in Hispania, would have occurred between episodes #10 and #11, although it is not mentioned in the series. It was the last military action in "Caesar's Civil War", and the end of the Optimates military opposition to Caesar. The only other man to be granted such sweeping powers over Rome – at least while it was still a Republic – was Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, who used the power to turn the Republic into a bloodbath. This might explain why there has been so much resistance to Caesar gaining such power. Ironically, a young Julius Caesar himself had to flee the city while it was in Sulla's power, and Sulla himself commented in his memoirs that he regretted sparing Caesar's life because of the young man's notorious ambition.

Vercingetorix, "King Of The Gauls", is supposed to depict Vercingetorix, ruler of the Arverni and leader of the Gallic armies during the later phase of the Gallic Wars. After Vercingetorix was defeated at the Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, he was taken to Rome as prisoner. He was indeed paraded through Rome as part of Caesar's triumph in 46 BC, and was executed afterwards, though probably not publicly. The almost total lack of regard for human life demonstrated towards slaves is probably accurate (see slavery in ancient Rome). Though later emperors increasingly protected the rights of slaves (under Nero, slaves were given the right to complain against their masters in court), such laws were not introduced until later.

Pullo's comment about Vorenus' "nice, clean, white toga" is not only a reference to the fact that he was not permitted to touch the material. Vorenus is, of course, a candidate, and the English word comes from the Latin adjective 'candidus, -a, -um.' The word references a particularly bright shade of white that political candidates wore to mark their stations.