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

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

. He is mentioned shortly by

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) 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 Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

and at length by

Livius ''Livius'' is a genus of South American tangled nest spiders containing the single species, ''Livius macrospinus''. It was first described by V. D. Roth in 1967, and has only been found in Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ...

. He is the legendary namesake of the

Lacus Curtius The Lacus Curtius ("Lake Curtius") was a mysterious pit or pool in the ground in the Forum Romanum. The area where the Forum would later be built was originally likely a lake, as the area it was in is known to have been surrounded by brooks and ...

in the

Roman Forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

, the site of his supposed sacrifice.

Legendary biography

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

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

augur An augur was a priest and official in the classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds. Determinations were based upon whether they were flying i ...

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 ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

, due to etchings made by the German artist

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 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 know ...

(1507/1508) and the Dutch artist

Hendrick Goltzius Hendrick Goltzius, or Hendrik, (; ; 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 The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

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.

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