The Triumph

I'm taking an Art History class at UC Irvine, and since we're starting with the beginnings of art, we're seeing a lot of false religions and kings proclaiming themselves to be divine, gods incarnate, immortal. This reminds me of a story I was taught by a man I deeply respect and love, who will be named Bex.
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The idea that "the king is a god" became an attribute of the Roman Emperor after Julius Ceasar's death in 44 B.C. (However, as I am discovering through my studies in Scripture and secular psychology, this idea has been around since the first man crowned prince of creation decided to rebel against the King of kings and equate himself as divine.) The worship of the emperor began when a comet was seen in broad daylight for 8 days following Julius Caesar's death. Octavian (Caesar Augustus) proclaimed his father a deity, and that he saw his father ascend to the heavens. So, being the son of a god, he decided to let his peoples  worship him as a god. Now that we've got the background, let the story begin...

The "inauguration" of a caesar was a special deal. It had a unique name, "triumpe," in Latin. This word is translated "triambas" in Greek, and "triumph" in English. This inauguration had a traditional flow to it, that Mark illustrates in his gospel to the Romans.

(I) The first thing that happened on the day of the triumph was that the "Triumphator" would be brought into the middle of a group of soldiers.
"The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers" Mark 15:16

(II) Next, a purple robe (representing royalty), an olive-leaf wreath (the crown of victory), and a sceptre (representing the God-given power to rule and deliver judgment) were presented to the Triumphator.
^"They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him." Mark 15:17

(III) Thirdly, the triumphator was loudly proclaimed as such by the guard.
And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Mark 15:18

(IV) After being proclaimed as triumphant, the Triumphator and a sacrificial bull are marched through the streets, while a slave carries the axe, the weapon of sacrifice.
"Then they led him out to crucify him. A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross." Mark 15:20b-21

(V) The procession would then move to a hill in Rome called Capitolene Hill (which means Head Hill)
"They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull)." Mark 15:22

(VI) The triumphator would then be offered a bowl of wine mixed with myrrh, which he would refuse.
"Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it." Mark 15:23

(VII) The triumphator would continue onwards, but only two of his trusted generals would accompany him, one of the right, one on the left.
"They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left" Mark 15:27

(VIII) The crowd would then proclaim and magnify the inaugurated emperor:
"Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying
"So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,
come down from the cross and save yourself!"
In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves.
"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him" Mark 15:29-32

(IX) Then a divine seal of approval marked that the gods approved this triumphator worthy of divinity. (Julius Ceasar's 8-day comet was convincing enough, but Jesus's tops them all) 
"At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour" Mark 15:33

(X) Lastly, to conclude the ceremony, a soldier would proclaim the triumphator as divine.
"And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!'" Mark 15:39

Since the Gospel of Mark was written to Gentiles in the Roman Empire and focuses on the final week of Jesus' life, especially His crucifixion, I think these comparisons are clear. But Mark has a point: Jesus triumphed over sin through his suffering. He is King and God and Sacrifice!