Publicola

Plutarch

Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. I. Perrin, Bernadotte, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1914.

the people were all assembled on the Capitol, silence had been proclaimed, and Horatius, after performing the other ceremonies and laying hold upon the door of the temple, as the custom is, was pronouncing the usual words of consecration. But just then Marcus, the brother of Publicola, who had long been standing by the door and was watching his opportunity, said: O Consul, thy son lies dead of sickness in the camp.

This distressed all who heard it; But Horatius, not at all disturbed, merely said: Cast forth the dead then whither ye please, for I take no mourning upon me, and finished his consecration. Now the announcement was not true, but Marcus thought by his falsehood to deter Horatius from his duty. Wonderful, therefore, was the firm poise of the man, whether he at once saw through the deceit, or believed the story without letting it overcome him.[*](Cf. Livy, ii. 8, 6-8. )

XV. A similar fortune seems to have attended the dedication of the second temple. The first, as I have said, was built by Tarquin, but consecrated by Horatius; this was destroyed by fire during the civil wars.[*](83 B.C.) The second temple was built by Sulla, but Catulus was commissioned to consecrate it,[*](69 B.C.) after the death of Sulla.

This temple, too was destroyed, during the troublous times of Vitellius,[*](69 A.D.) and Vespasian began and completely finished the third, with the good fortune that attended him in all his undertakings. He lived to see it completed, and did not live to see it destroyed, as it was soon after; and in dying before his work was destroyed he was just so much more fortunate than Sulla, who died before his was consecrated. For upon time death of Vespasian the Capitol was burned.[*](80 A.D.)