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Capitoline 2.160 and having been pushed against the rock, he perished, from which that man had cast down the Celt. Then, when many wars had been stirred up against both Rome itself and the cities subject to it, the Romans, going out against their enemies through both Camillus and others, since he had already grown very old, both stopped the wars and had a profound peace with outsiders, but they were in a state of sedition with one another. For a certain Marcus Fabius, a patrician, being the father of two daughters, betrothed the elder to a certain Licinius Stolo, a man far beneath him, but married the younger to Sulpicius Rufus, a man of equal rank. So while Rufus was serving as military tribune and was in the forum, her sister came to visit his wife. And when he arrived, the lictor knocked on the door according to some ancient custom. And the wife was startled by the loud noise, not yet having experienced this; and at this there was laughter from her sister and those present, and she was mocked as a commoner. But she considered the matter a terrible thing, and she provoked her husband to stand for office. Stolo, therefore, having been incited by his wife, shared the matter with a certain Lucius Sextius, a man of like station, and both forced their way into being tribunes of the plebs, and they threw the order of the state into confusion, so that for four years there was anarchy for the people; for they were obstructing the patricians' elections. And this would have gone on even longer, if a report had not been brought that the Celts were again marching on Rome. Therefore, putting aside all disagreement with one another, they chose Camillus as dictator 2.161 for the fifth time and marched against the barbarians. There was no general battle, however, but a single combat took place first. For a certain Titus Manlius, a patrician. Having offended his father, he was neglected and was spending his time in the country; then he was reconciled with his father, and having become a military tribune, he stood against the Celt who was challenging to single combat and, defeating him, he stripped him of his golden neck-chain, and from wearing it he was surnamed Torquatus. And when the armies also engaged, the Celts were defeated, and they refrained from their assault on Rome, but they plundered the Alban territory, so the Romans, allowing them to plunder the land, so that, having become sated with food and drunkenness, they might be easier to attack, set upon them, and they both destroyed many of them and captured their camp. And Camillus, having returned to Rome, laid down his office. From that time, therefore, the military tribunes, who had been appointed instead of consuls, ceased to be, and consuls were appointed, sometimes patricians, sometimes from the people, and sometimes even from both together. And when a plague struck Rome, Camillus also died, and the Romans were greatly grieved at the man's death. After these things, it is recorded that a certain event also happened around Rome. For the ground between the Palatine and the Capitoline is said to have opened up suddenly, with neither a preceding earthquake nor any 2.162 other thing, such as usually happens naturally with such events. And the chasm remained for a long time, neither closing in any way nor indeed being filled, even though the Romans brought much earth into it, and stones, and other material of every kind. Therefore, to the Romans who were at a loss, an oracle was given that the gap would not otherwise close, unless they cast into the chasm their greatest possession and that in which their greatest strength lies; for in this way it will both close and the city will have an indestructible power. So again the problem remained unsolved, as the oracle was unclear. But Marcus Curtius, a patrician, young in age, most beautiful in form, most powerful in strength, most courageous in spirit, distinguished in wisdom, having understood the meaning of the oracle, came forward and addressed the people, saying, "Why do we condemn the obscurity of the oracles, O Romans, or our own ignorance? We are this very thing that is sought and is the source of perplexity. For nothing inanimate will be considered better than an animate being, nor than that which is intelligent and sensible and endowed with reason the

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Καπιτώλιον 2.160 καὶ κατὰ τῆς πέτρας ὠσθεὶς ἀπώλετο, καθ' ης ἐκεῖνος τὸν Κελτὸν κατεκρήμνισεν. Ειτα πολλῶν πολέμων κατά τε τῆς ̔Ρώμης αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων αὐτῇ πόλεων κινηθέντων, ἐπεξελθόντες τοῖς ἐναντίοις οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι διά τε τοῦ Καμίλλου καὶ δι' ἑτέρων, ηδη ἐκείνου ὑπεργηράσαντος, τούς τε πολέμους κατέπαυσαν καὶ εἰρήνην βαθεῖαν εσχον πρὸς τοὺς ἐκτός, πρὸς ἀλλήλους δὲ ἐστασίαζον. Μάρκος γάρ τις Φάβιος εὐπατρίδης, θυγατέρων δύο τυγχάνων πατήρ, τὴν μὲν πρεσβυτέραν Λικινίῳ τινὶ Στόλωνι κατηγγύησε πολὺ αὐτοῦ καταδεεστέρῳ, τὴν δὲ νεωτέραν Σουλπικίῳ ̔Ρούφῳ, ἀνδρὶ ὁμοτίμῳ, συνῴκισε. χιλιαρχοῦντος ουν τοῦ ̔Ρούφου καὶ οντος ἐν ἀγορᾷ, πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς παραγέγονεν. ἀφικομένου δ' ἐκείνου τὴν θύραν ὁ ῥαβδοῦχος κατά τι εθος ἀρχαῖον εκρουσε. διεπτοήθη δὲ πρὸς τὸν πάταγον ἡ γυνὴ ουπω τούτου πεπειραμένη· καὶ γέλως ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ παρὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς καὶ τῶν παρόντων ἐγένετο, καὶ ὡς ἰδιῶτις ἐσκώφθη. τῇ δ' ἐν δεινῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα πεποίητο, καὶ τὸν ανδρα ἐς ἀρχὴν παραγγεῖλαι ἠρέθιζεν. ὁ γοῦν Στόλων ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς παρακινηθεὶς Λουκίῳ τινὶ Σεξτίῳ, ἀνδρὶ τῶν ὁμοίων, τὰ τοῦ πράγματος κοινωσάμενος, αμφω δημαρχῆσαι κατεβιάσαντο, καὶ τὸν κόσμον τῆς πολιτείας συνέχεον, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τέσσαρσιν ετεσιν ἀναρχίαν γενέσθαι τῷ δήμῳ· τὰς γὰρ τῶν εὐπατριδῶν ἀρχαιρεσίας ἐνεπόδιζον. καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον αν ετι τοῦτο ἐγένετο, εἰ μή τις ἀγγελία κεκόμιστο ἐπὶ τὴν ̔Ρώμην αυθις ἐλαύνειν Κελτούς. απαν ουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀφέντες διάφορον, δικτά2.161 τωρα τὸ πέμπτον τὸν Κάμιλλον ειλοντο καὶ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐστράτευσαν. οὐ μάχη μέντοι κοινή, μονομαχία δὲ γέγονε πρότερον. Τίτος γάρ τις Μάλλιος, ἀνὴρ εὐπατρίδης. προσκεκρουκὼς τῷ πατρὶ παρημελεῖτο καὶ διέτριβεν ἐν ἀγρῷ· ειτα τῷ πατρὶ διηλλάγη, καὶ χιλίαρχος στρατοπέδου γενόμενος τῷ τε προκαλουμένῳ Κελτῷ πρὸς μονομαχίαν ἀντέστη καὶ νικήσας αὐτὸν τὸν στρεπτὸν αὐτοῦ χρυσοῦν οντα ἐσκύλευσε, καὶ Τουρκουάτος φορῶν αὐτὸν ἐπεκέκλητο. συμμιξάντων δὲ καὶ τῶν στρατευμάτων ηττηντο οἱ Κελτοί, καὶ τῆς μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ̔Ρώμην ὁρμῆς ἀπέσχοντο, τὴν δ' ̓Αλβανίδα ἐλεηλάτουν, ἐάσαντες ουν αὐτοὺς οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι διαρπάσαι τὴν χώραν, ὡς κατακορεῖς γενόμενοι βρωμάτων καὶ μέθης εὐεπιχειρητότεροι ειεν, ἐπέθεντο σφίσι, καὶ αὐτῶν τε πολλοὺς διέφθειραν καὶ τὸ σφῶν ειλον στρατόπεδον. ὁ δὲ Κάμιλλος εἰς τὴν ̔Ρώμην ἐπανελθὼν ἀπέθετο τὴν ἀρχήν. Εκτοτε ουν οἱ μὲν χιλίαρχοι, οι ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων ἐγίνοντο, ἐσχολάκασιν, υπατοι δὲ ἀπεδείκνυντο ἐνίοτε μὲν εὐπατρίδαι, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ πλήθους ἐνίοτε, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ὁμοῦ. νόσου δ' ἐνσκηψάσης τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ καὶ ὁ Κάμιλλος τέθνηκε, καὶ οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι πλεῖστα θανόντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἠνιάθησαν. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καί τι συμβεβηκέναι πάθος περὶ τὴν ̔Ρώμην ἱστόρηται. διαστῆναι γὰρ λέγεται τὸ πεδίον τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦ Παλατίου καὶ τοῦ Καπιτωλίου ἐξάπινα, μήτε σεισμοῦ προηγησαμένου μήτ' αλλου τι2.162 νός, οια συμβαίνειν ειωθε φυσικῶς ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις παθήμασι. καὶ ην τὸ χάσμα διαμένον ἐπὶ μακρόν, ουτε συνερχόμενον οιως δή ποτε ουτε μέντοι πληρούμενον, καὶ ταῦτα χοῦν τε τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἐς αὐτὸ συμφορούντων πολὺν καὶ λίθους καὶ αλλην υλην παντοδαπήν. ἀποροῦσιν ουν τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις χρησμὸς ἐδόθη μὴ αλλως τὸ διεστὸς συνελθεῖν, εἰ μὴ τὸ κρεῖττον αὐτῶν καὶ δι' ου μάλιστα πλεῖστον ἰσχύουσιν εἰς τὸ χάσμα ἐμβάλλουσιν· ουτω γὰρ ἐκεῖνό τε παύσεται καὶ τῇ πόλει εσται δύναμις ἀκατάλυτος. εμενεν ουν καὶ πάλιν τὸ απορον ἀπορούμενον, ἀσαφοῦς τυγχάνοντος τοῦ χρησμοῦ. Μάρκος δὲ Κούρτιος, ἀνὴρ εὐπατρίδης, νέος τὴν ἡλικίαν, ὡραιότατος τὴν μορφήν, ῥωμαλεώτατος τὴν ἰσχύν, ἀνδρειότατος τὴν ψυχήν, φρονήσει διαπρεπής, τὸν νοῦν συνεὶς τοῦ χρησμοῦ παρελθὼν εἰς μέσον ἐδημηγόρησε λέγων "τί τῶν λογίων ἀσάφειαν, ω ̔Ρωμαῖοι, η ἀμαθίαν ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καταψηφιζόμεθα; ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ζητούμενόν τε καὶ ἀπορούμενον. οὐ γάρ τι αψυχον ἐμψύχου λογισθήσεται βέλτιον, οὐδὲ τοῦ εννου καὶ εμφρονος καὶ λόγῳ κεκοσμημένου τὸ