“Rubens: Picturing Antiquity,” the special exhibition on view at the Getty Villa, closes this Monday, January 24! As this exhibition—the first to explore Rubens’ fascination with antiquity—makes its exit, let’s explore how ancient Romans (and later, Rubens!) depicted the dramatic entrances of emperors and kings. After a successful military campaign, a Roman general or emperor might be honored upon their return with an extravagant welcome procession, known as a triumph. Imagine the streets of Rome flooded with spectators, music and flowers filling the air, spoils of war paraded around for all to see. A mythologized version of the triumph of Emperor Constantine adorns this massive sardonyx cameo, a semiprecious layered stone with carved decoration. Known as the “Gemma Constantiniana,” it depicts the emperor and his family on a chariot pulled by centaurs, who trample over the defeated enemies of Rome. In his hand, Constantine holds a lightning bolt, the symbol of Jupiter, king of the ...