1. METTUS or METIUS
CURTIUS, a Sabine of the time of Romulus. During the war between the
Romans and Sabines, which arose from the rape of the Sabine women, the Sabines had gained
possession of the Roman arx. When the Roman army was drawn up between the Palatine and
Capitoline hills, two chiefs of the armies, Mettus Curtius on the part of the Sabines, and
Hostus Hostilius on that of the Romans, opened the contest, in which the latter was slain.
While Curtius was glorying in his victory, Romulus and a band of Romans made an attack upon
him. Curtius, who fought on horseback, could not maintain his ground; he was chased by the
Romans, and in despair he leaped with his horse into a swamp, which then covered the valley
afterwards occupied by the forum. However, he got out of it with difficulty at the bidding of
his Sabines. Peace was soon after concluded between the Romans and their neighbours, and the
swamp was henceforth called lacus Curtius, to commemorate the event.
(L. L. 5.148; Plut. Romul. 18.)
This is the common story about the name of the lacus Curtius; but there are two other
traditions, which though they likewise trace it to a person of the name of Curtius, yet refer
us to a much later time. According to the first of these, it happened one day that the earth
in the forum gave way, sank, and formed a great chasm. All attempts to fill it up were
useless, and when at length the aruspices were consulted about it, they declared, that the
chasm could not be filled except by throwing into it that on which Rome's greatness was to be
based, and that then the state should prosper. When all were hesitating and doubting as to
what was meant, a noble youth of the name of M. Curtius came forward, and declaring that Rome
possessed no greater treasure than a brave and gallant citizen in arms, he offered himself as
the victim demanded, and having mounted his steed in full armour, lie leaped into the abyss,
and the earth soon closed over him. This event is assigned to the year l.c.;
s. v. Curtilacum; Plut. Parallel.
Min. 5; de Civ. Dei, 5.18.) According to the
second tradition, the place called lacus Curtius had been struck by lightning, and, at the
command of the senate, it was enclosed in the usual manner by the consul C. Curtius Philo,
L. L. 5.150.) But that this
place was not regarded as a bidental, that is, a sacred spot struck by
lightning, seems to be clear from what Pliny (ostentum fatale. In order to avert
any evil, and at the same time symbolically to secure the duration of the republic, an altar
was erected on the spot, and a regular sacrifice was offered there, which may have given rise
to the story about the self-sacrifice of Curtius. (