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This golden-oldy episode of History Daily originally aired on March 15th, 2022.

It's late September 46 BC in Rome.

Thousands of people line the streets of the city where a victory parade is underway.

To the rousing fanfare of trumpets, a column of legionnaires marched down the Via Sacra,

the main street of ancient Rome, towards the Temple of Jupiter.

Behind the legionnaires, two centurion guards usher a shackled prisoner along the parade route.

His name is Versingetarex, leader of the Gauls.

Versingetarex united the Gauls and led a revolt against Rome.

But he was forced to surrender, and today he will meet his end.

The guards lead Versingetarex to the top of the capital line hill.

Crowd roars with delight as the guards force their prisoner to his knees.

But then, Versingetarex hears forces approaching.

He cranes his head to see the gold-plated chariot of Julius Caesar, a Roman statesman and general

who put down his uprising and forced him to surrender.

The crowd roars again as Caesar jumps down from his chariot.

He strides past Versingetarex, the hem of his purple toga billowing around his ankles.

He takes his seat at a marble throne.

Behind Caesar, calmly watching over the proceedings,

are Rome's senators, men like Marcus Brutus and Gaia's Cassius.

...