The Roman triumph was one of the most elaborate ritual performances in the ancient world. A triumphator's procession through Rome, with captives in chains, booty displayed on wagons, the general riding in a chariot with his face painted red, his slave whispering 'remember you are mortal' — this is political theater of extraordinary sophistication.

The triumph had specific legal requirements that generated endless political conflict. You needed a specific type of military victory, a minimum number of enemy dead, and senatorial approval. The last requirement meant that politically disfavored generals sometimes won magnificent victories that were denied triumphs, while politically connected generals received triumphs for marginal operations.

The triumph also had economic dimensions. The booty displayed and then distributed created economic ripples through Rome. The Roman cityscape is in part a monument to triumph economics.

Smaller celebrations — ovations and triumphal processions — created a graduated system of honors that allowed the Senate to calibrate its recognition of military success.