For this, the seers declared, must be sacrificed on that spot if men wished the Roman republic to be eternal. The story goes on that M. Curtius, a youth distinguished in war, indignantly asked those who were in doubt what
answer to give, whether anything that Rome possessed was more precious than the arms and valour of her sons.
As those around stood silent, he looked up to the Capitol and to the temples of the immortal gods which looked down on the Forum, and stretching out his hands first towards heaven and then to the yawning chasm beneath, devoted himself to the gods below.
Then mounting his horse, which had been caparisoned as magnificently as possible, he leaped in full armour into the cavern. Gifts and offerings of fruits of the earth were flung in after him by crowds of men and women.
It was from this incident that the designation “The Curtian Gulf” originated, and not from that old-world soldier of Titius Tatius, Curtius Mettius.
If any path would lead an inquirer to the truth, we should not shrink from the labour of investigation; as it is, on a matter where antiquity makes certainty impossible we must adhere to the legend which supplies the more famous derivation of the name.
After
The mission of the Fetials who had been sent to demand satisfaction proved to be fruitless; the senate accordingiy decided to submit to the people at the earliest possible day the question of declaring war against the Hernici.
The people in a crowded Assembly voted for war. Its conduct fell by lot to L. Genucius.
As he was the first plebeian consul to manage a war under his own auspices the State awaited the issue with keen interest, prepared to look
upon the policy of admitting plebeians to the highest offices of state as wise or unwise according to the way matters turned out.
As chance would have it, Genucius, whilst making a vigorous attack upon the enemy, fell into an ambush, the legions were taken by surprise and routed, and the consul was surrounded and killed without the enemy being aware who their victim was.
When the report of the occurrence reached Rome, the patricians were not so much distressed at the disaster which had befallen the commonwealth as they were exultant over the unfortunate generalship of the consul. Everywhere they were taunting the plebeians: “Go on!
Elect your consuls from the plebs, transfer the auspices to those for whom it is an impiety to possess them!