Mettius Curtius 9

vol. IV p.1865

9) Mettius Curtius

To explain the name of the Lacus Curtius (see p.1892) on the forum, Varro de l. l. V 148ff. gives three stories, <30> including V 149 the following: Piso in annalibus (frg. 6 Peter) scribit, Sabino bello, quod fuit Romulo et Tatio, virum fortissimum Mettium Curtium Sabinum, cum Romulus cum suis ex superiore parte impressionem fecissset, [Curtium] in locum palustrem, qui tum fuit in foro, antequam cloacae sunt factae, secessisse atque ad suos in Capitolium recepisse, ab eo lacum invenisse nomen. Mostly agreeing with this version, <40> Livy I 12, 2. 8-10. 13, 5 tells this story with a few expansions and deviations, cf. VII 6, 5. Dionys. II 42, 2-6, who 46, 3 names Curtius as one of the Sabini who stayed back in Rome, and Plutarch Rom. 18, 5-7 (without a praenomen); the Sabine Mettus (not Mettius) Curtius is also known in Auct. de praenom. 1. The invention of this story is certainly, as Schwegler (R. G. I 484, 2; similarly also Niebuhr R. G. I 249) justifiably highlights, the work of Piso, <50> who wanted to strip ancient legend using logic to restructure the miraculous things; the annalists in the time of Sulla then followed him. On the alleged images of Curtius, cf. nr. 7.

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This article is referenced by: M. Curtius (7), Lacus Curtius