You’ve seen the movie stars walk that red carpet on the way to their premiers. The press and fans are battling to get a glimpse, they’re dressed in the best, and their life looks pretty good.Well, these kinds of triumphal marches are nothing new. In fact, during the heyday of the Roman Empire, their official celebratory marches were something to behold.
Official triumphal marches were given when a Roman general had slain at least 5000 of the enemy (not with his own sword, of course). The victorious general rode on a golden chariot, wearing a purple-and-gold tunic and toga, while crowds of thousands cheered and called his name. He held a laurel branch in his right hand and an ivory sceptre in his left, and a slave would hold a golden crown over his head.
But just in case he started to think he was too big for his boots, the slave would also repeatedly remind him, in the midst of his glory, that he was just a mortal man, and that all mortal things must pass.
Humbling stuff. And if you replace the slave with a personal assistant, it sounds like something our super-stars could use while they march down the red carpet...
