Marcus Curtius is a mythological young Roman who offered himself to the gods of

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

. He is mentioned shortly by

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

and at length by

Livius Livius may refer to: * Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus, a Roman senator opposing the autocracy of Augustus *''Livius'', a genus of spiders with the sole species '' Livius macrospinus'' *Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English a ...

. He is the legendary namesake of the

Lacus Curtius The Lacus Curtius ("Lake Curtius") was a pit or pool in the ground of the Forum Romanum. The area where the Forum would be built was likely once a lake, as the wider area is known to have been surrounded by brooks and marshes. One part was never ...

in the

Roman Forum A forum (Latin: ''forum'', "public place outdoors", : ''fora''; English : either ''fora'' or ''forums'') was a public square in a municipium, or any civitas, of Ancient Rome reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, alon ...

, the site of his supposed self-sacrifice.

Legendary biography

After an earthquake in 362 BC, a huge deep pit suddenly opened in the

, which the Romans attempted to fill, but in vain. Despairing, they consulted an

augur An augur was a priest and official in the ancient Rome, classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the List of Roman deities, gods by studying events he observed within a predetermined s ...

who responded that the gods demanded the most precious possession of Rome. The Romans doubted the warning, and struggled to think of what that was. However, a young soldier named Marcus Curtius castigated them and responded that arms and the courage of Romans were the nation's most precious possessions. Astride his horse, fully and meticulously armed and decorated, Marcus rode and leapt into the chasm. Immediately, the deep pit closed over him, saving Rome. The

in the Forum was supposedly built on the site of the pit, and receives its name from him.

Art history

The story of Marcus Curtius, sacrificing himself for the cause of the commonwealth, became well known theme during the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

, due to etchings made by the German artist

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German ...

(1507/1508) and the Dutch artist

Hendrick Goltzius Hendrick Goltzius (, ; born Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter. He was the leading Dutch engraver of the early Baroque period, or Northern Mannerism, lauded for his ...

(1586). It was also depicted in the famous ''

Nuremberg Chronicle The ''Nuremberg Chronicle'' is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase. Subjects include human history in relation to the Bible, illustrated mythological creatures, ...

'' by

Hartmann Schedel Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514) was a German historian, physician, humanist, and one of the first cartographers to use the printing press. He was born and died in Nuremberg. Matheolus Perusinus served as his tutor. ...

(1493). A bas-relief, apparently found in a garden near the

Forum Romanum A forum (Latin: ''forum'', "public place outdoors", : ''fora''; English : either ''fora'' or ''forums'') was a public square in a municipium, or any civitas, of Ancient Rome reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along ...

in 1553, seems to have been leading in most images. It dates from the Early Empire, but may have been copied from a 3rd- or 2nd-century BC piece.Angeline Chiu, ''Ovid's Women of the Year: Narratives of Roman Identity in the Fasti'', University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbour 2016, p. 31.

Benjamin Robert Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactle ...

(1786-1846) painted a large oil entitled ''

Curtius Leaping into the Gulf ''Curtius Leaping into the Gulf'' is an 1842 history painting by the British artist Benjamin Robert Haydon. It depicts a scene from the early Roman Republic recorded by Livy. Marcus Curtius bravely leaps into a giant hole that had opened up in t ...

'' in 1842.

References

External links

'Lacus Curtius' page in the Penelope Chicago University site with images
* Maria Berbara: ttps://www.academia.edu/6956539/Civic_Self_Offering_Some_Renaissance_Representations_of_Marcus_Curtius ''Civic Self-Offering: Some Renaissance Representations of Marcus Curtius.''in Karl Enenkel, Jan L. de Jong, Jeanine de Landtsheer (Ed.): ''Recreating Ancient History,'' p. 147–166. Leiden 2001, Brill. {{DEFAULTSORT:Curtius, Marcus Curtii Characters in Roman mythology

Legendary biography

Art history

See also

References

External links