Publicola

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.)

The fourth temple, which is now standing on the same site as the others, was both completed and consecrated by Domitian. It is said that Tarquin expended upon its foundations forty thousand pounds of silver. But time greatest wealth now attributed to any private citizen of Rome would not pay the cost of the gilding alone of the present temple, which was more than twelve thousand talents.[*](For purposes of comparison a talent may be reckoned as worth £250, or $1200.)