Lacus Curtius

vol. IV p.1892-1893

Curtius lacus

It was in Rome, in the middle of the forum, originally a well or a pool, a dry puteal at the beginning of the empire (Ovid. fast. VI 403. Dionys. II 42), the origin of which Varro de l. l. V 148-150 gives three versions for. First, the Sabine Mettius Curtius supposedly fell into the swamp there in the battle between Romulus and Tatius (cf. also Liv. I 12. 13. Dionys. II 42. 50. Plut. Rom. 50 and p.1865f. nr. 9). <30> Second, in the year 362 M. Curtius closed up a rift that had opened up in the earth through his own self-sacrifice (Procilius in Varro loc. cit.; also Liv. VII 6. Val. Max. V 6, 2. Paul. 49. Augustin. de civ. dei V 18. Oros. III 5 and p.1865 nr. 7). Third, in the year 445 BCE, following a decree from the senate, the consul C. Curtius (see p.1866f. nr. 15) closed off the area which had been struck by lightning. <40> The last version can very likely be traced back to the city’s histories, and can be founded historically. The first two surprisingly agree on one detail - that is, that Curtius - whether the Sabine or the Roman - fell into the swamp/chasm from the north peak of the Capitoline (a Concordia versum, Procilius in Varro; ab arce Liv. I 12, 8). This is most easily explained if there was an artwork portraying Curtius’ deed at the Lacus Curtius, <50> from whose position you could work out the direction. The famous relief now kept in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, with the depiction of Mettius Curtius (Helbig Museen Roms I² 379 nr. 563), was found in the middle of the forum, not far from the Column of Phocas. Its ancient origin - against the suspicions raised by Matz (Bull. d. Inst. 1869, 71), Helbig (Rh. Mus. XXIV 1869, 478) and Jordan (Topogr. I 1. 519. 2, 400. II 501) - has been recently well defended by Furtwängler (Die antiken Gemmen III 284f.). <60> I must only disagree with Furtwängler when he says that the relief was older than the inscription of L. Naevius L. f. Surdinus pr(aetor) inter civis et peregrinos (CIL VI 1467; from the time of Tiberius) found on the other side, and considers this to be a copy of an older monument, <page break 1892/1893> which, after perhaps being damaged at the beginning of the 4th century during the great fire in the forum under Carinus, was finished using the base of Surdinus. The Lacus Curtius is mentioned in Plaut. Curcul. 477. Plin. n. h. XV 77 (an olive tree, a grape vine, and an altar are at the lake). Suet. Aug. 57 (omnes ordines throw annual donations into the Lacus Curtius for Augustus’ wellbeing). Tac. hist. I 41. Suet. Galba 20. Plut. Galba 27 (murder of Galba at the Lacus Curtius); <10> all these sources suggest that the Lacus Curtius was “right in the middle of the forum” (ἐν μέσῃ τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀγορᾷ, Dionys. loc. cit. Cass. Dio LXIV 6), but the remains are yet to be found [as of 1901]. cf. Jordan Topogr. I 399f. II 501. Gilbert Topogr. I 334-338. Münzer p.1865.

[Hülsen.]

This article is referenced by: M. Curtius (7), Mettius Curtius (9), C. Curtius Chilo (15)