Pompa circensis
ancient rome pompa circensis circus parade procession preceded official game ludi held circus part religious festival occasion detailed description pompa circensis republican era given dionysius halicarnassus based eyewitness observation historian fabius pictor say describing original ludi romani fabius may however influenced saw pompa saecular game bc procession led boy nobility nobiles riding horseback followed boy foot future infantryman next came charioteer athlete would compete game troop dancer followed musical accompaniment performed auloi type woodwind instrument lyre dancer divided age class men youth child wearing purple tunic wielded sword short spear weapon dance similar cretan pyrrhic adult dancer also wore bronze helmet conspicuous crest wing chorus dressed satyr sileni followed armed dancer mocked costumed woolly tunic garland different kind flower goatskin loincloth hair standing head tuft appearance satyristai original ludi romani earliest known reference satyr roman culture although dionysius suggests weapon dance bacchic dancing imitation greek weapon dance roman precedent salian priest danced sword shield role satyr seems based etruscan custom procession concluded men carrying golden bowl perfume statue god carried litter fercula attribute exuviae transported separately special chariot cart tensae thensae tensae pulled boy whose mother father still alive image exuviae displayed circus probably wooden platform called pulvinar procession started capitolium clivus capitolinus came roman forum proceeded along via sacrum passed vicus tuscus arrive circus maximus magistrate presided game rode twohorse chariot biga wore traditional attire triumphing general triumphator view theodor mommsen pompa circensis simply repurposing triumphal procession presenting game originally attached ludi began presented apart triumph presiding magistrate took place triumphator parade h versnel considered pompa blend greek roman etruscan element frank bernstein argued tradition etruscan origin essentially sound circus game opening procession established rome regal period rule etruscan king part cult capitoline jupiter pompa circensis underwent significant change dictatorship julius caesar image chariot added procession reign augustus tiberius member imperial family represented image sellae special seat throne see curule chair became customary st century image emperor family join deity time tiberius parade route incorporated temple mar ultor built augustus absorbed several ceremony formerly held temple capitoline jupiter new extended route would passed along forum augustus priesthood arval brother carried sacrifice ludi circenses held conjunction various celebration imperial cult reign nero arval sacrifice made capitolium procession traditionally began early empire however arvals made sacrifice new temple divine augustus occasion ludi martiales ludi augustales augustus birthday time procession began topography covered parade route might vary according desired symbolism occasion traditional parade route restored flavian dynasty capitolium focus temple explicitly connected julioclaudians less central though image imperial family continued displayed route expanded pas along campus martius time domitian built grand temple divinized vespasian titus nd century route pompa circensis probably become similar triumph pompa circensis thus developed highly visible medium expressing new political religious order empire