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mindless, irrational and foolish will be preferred. For what could one prefer to a man, so that by casting this into the chasm of the earth we might bring it together? There is no mortal animal neither better nor stronger than a man. For if I must say something bold, man is nothing other than a god having a mortal body, nor is a god anything other than a man without a body and therefore immortal, and we are not hung far from the divine power. These things I think thus, and I ask you also to assent to this 2.163 opinion. And let no one suppose that I will cast a lot or command a maiden or a young man to die; for I myself willingly give myself to you, so that today you may at once send me as a herald and ambassador to the chthonic gods, to be for you always a protector and an ally." Having said these things, Curtius put on his arms, then also mounted his horse. But the others became exceedingly grieved and exceedingly joyful, and having brought together some ornaments, some adorned him himself with them as a hero, while others threw some into the chasm. And as soon as Curtius on horseback rode into it, the chasm of the earth closed, and no one ever again saw either the chasm or Curtius. These things are thus recorded by the Romans; but if to anyone they should be judged mythical and not believable, it is permitted for him not to pay attention to them. But wars were again brought upon the Romans both by the Gauls and by other nations, but they repelled them all, at one time electing consuls, at another dictators. when some such thing also happened. Lucius Camillus was chosen dictator, when the Gauls were overrunning the lands under Rome. He, having set out against the barbarians, had a mind to waste time and not to risk battle against men who acted with desperation; for he hoped to wear them out more easily and more safely by a lack of provisions. But a certain Gaul challenged one of the Romans to single combat. And Valerius Marcus, a military tribune, the grandson of that Maximus, stood against him. And the fight of both proceeded brilliantly; for the one excelled in skill and craft, while the 2.164 Gaul excelled in strength and daring; but it was admired the more because a raven, flying up to Valerius' helmet and cawing, attacked the barbarian, and both disturbed his sight and hindered his charge, until he was overcome. Wherefore the Gauls, being indignant as though bested by a bird, immediately joined battle with the Romans in a rage, and came off badly. And Valerius, on account of the raven's alliance, was surnamed Corvinus. Afterwards, when the armies mutinied and a civil war was about to occur, the mutineers were reconciled, laws having been passed that no one should be struck from the roll against his will, nor should one who had been a military tribune serve as a centurion, and that it be permitted for both the consuls to be appointed even from the plebs, and that the same man should not hold two offices at once, nor the same office twice within ten years. But the Latins, although they were allies of the Romans, revolted and took up war, becoming arrogant because they were in the prime of youth and were accurately trained in warfare from always campaigning with them. But they, knowing this, went out, having chosen as consul both Torquatus for the third time and Decius, and they fought a mighty battle against them, each side considering that day a true test of their own fortune and valor. But the battle seemed more remarkable also because of something that had happened. For the consuls, seeing that the Latins had the same equipment and spoke the same language as the Romans, feared that some of the soldiers might make a mistake, not 2.165 easily distinguishing between their own side and the enemy. And for this reason they gave orders to them both to observe other things carefully, and that no one on his own should engage with any of the enemy. This order, then, the others kept, but the son of Torquatus, serving among the cavalry, and having been sent to spy on the enemy, disregarded it not out of willfulness, but certainly out of ambition. For when the commander of the Latin cavalry saw him approaching, he challenged him to single combat, and when he did not accept this because of the prohibition, he provoked him, saying "Are you not indeed the son of Torquatus? Are you not

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ανουν αλογόν τε καὶ αφρον προτιμηθήσεται. τί γὰρ αν τις ἀνθρώπου προκρίνειεν, ινα τοῦτο ἐς τὴν τῆς γῆς βαλόντες διάστασιν αὐτὴν συναγάγοιμεν; οὐκ εστιν οὐδὲν ζῷον θνητὸν οὐδ' αμεινον οὐδ' ἰσχυρότερον ἀνθρώπου. εἰ γάρ τι δεῖ καὶ θρασυνόμενον εἰπεῖν, ουτ' ανθρωπος οὐδὲν αλλο ἐστὶν η θεὸς σῶμα θνητὸν εχων ουτε θεὸς αλλο τι η ανθρωπος ἀσώματος κἀντεῦθεν ἀθάνατος, καὶ οὐ πόρρω τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἀπηρτήμεθα. ταῦτα ἐγὼ μὲν ουτω φρονῶ, ἀξιῶ δὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς τῇ 2.163 γνώμῃ προσθέσθαι ταύτῃ. καὶ μή τις οἰήσαιτο οτι κλῆρον ποιήσομαι η κόρην κελεύσω θανεῖν η μειράκιον· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγὼ ἑκὼν ἐμαυτὸν ὑμῖν ἐπιδίδωμι, ινα σήμερον αὐτίκα κήρυκα πέμψητέ με καὶ πρεσβευτὴν τοῖς χθονίοις θεοῖς, ἐσόμενον ὑμῖν ἀεὶ προστάτην καὶ σύμμαχον." ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Κούρτιος τὰ οπλα ἐνεδιδύσκετο, ειτα καὶ τοῦ ιππου ἐπέβη. οἱ δ' αλλοι περιαλγεῖς ἐγίνοντο καὶ περιχαρεῖς, καὶ κοσμήματά τινα συμφορήσαντες οἱ μὲν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον αὐτοῖς ἐκόσμουν ὡς ηρωα, οἱ δέ τινα καὶ ἐς τὸ χάσμα ἐνέβαλλον. αρτι δ' ἐς αὐτὸ ἐνήλατο ὁ Κούρτιος εφιππος καὶ ἡ τῆς γῆς συνήχθη διάστασις, καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐκέτι ουτε τὸ χάσμα ουτε τὸν Κούρτιον ἐθεάσατο. ταῦθ' ουτω ̔Ρωμαίοις ἱστόρηται· εἰ δέ τῳ μυθώδη κριθείη καὶ μὴ πιστά, εξεστίν οἱ μὴ προσέχειν αὐτοῖς. Τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις δὲ πόλεμοι αυθις καὶ παρὰ Γαλατῶν καὶ ὑφ' ἑτέρων ἐθνῶν ἐπηνέχθησαν, ἀλλ' ἀπεκρούσαντο πάντας, πῇ μὲν ὑπάτους, πῇ δὲ δικτάτωρας ψηφιζόμενοι. οτε καί τι τοιοῦτον συμβέβηκε. δικτάτωρ ἐλέχθη Λούκιος Κάμιλλος, Γαλατῶν κατατρεχόντων τὰ ὑπὸ ̔Ρώμην. ος ἐπὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁρμήσας γνώμην ειχε τρίβειν τὸν καιρὸν καὶ μὴ διακινδυνεύειν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀπονοίᾳ χρωμένους· ῥᾷον γὰρ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον ἀπορίᾳ τροφῶν ἐκτρυχώσειν ηλπισε. Γαλάτης δέ τις εἰς μονομαχίαν τινὰ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων προεκαλεῖτο. καὶ ἀντέστη αὐτῷ Οὐαλέριος Μάρκος χιλιαρχῶν, ὁ τοῦ Μαξίμου ἐκείνου εγγονος. καὶ λαμπρὰ μὲν ἡ μάχη προέβη ἀμφοῖν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῇ περιτεχνήσει προέφερεν, ὁ δὲ 2.164 Γαλάτης τῇ ἰσχύϊ καὶ τῇ τόλμῃ· ἐπὶ πλέον δ' ἐθαυμαστώθη οτι τῷ τοῦ Οὐαλερίου κράνει κόραξ ἐφιπτάμενος καὶ κρώζων εἰς τὸν βάρβαρον ἐνεχρίμπτετο, καὶ τήν τε οψιν αὐτοῦ ἐπετάρασσε καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐνεπόδιζε, μέχρις ου κατειργάσθη. διὸ ἀγανακτήσαντες οἱ Γαλάται ὡς ὑπὸ ορνιθος ἠλαττωμένοι, θυμῷ αὐτίκα συνέμιξαν τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις, καὶ κακῶς ἀπηλλάγησαν. ὁ δ' Οὐαλέριος ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ κόρακος συμμαχίας Κορουῗνος ἐπωνομάσθη. Εἰσέπειτα δὲ τῶν στρατευμάτων στασιασάντων καὶ ἐμφυλίου πολέμου γενέσθαι μέλλοντος, κατηλλάγησαν οἱ στασιάσαντες, νόμων τεθέντων μήτ' ακοντά τινα τοῦ καταλόγου ἀπαλείφεσθαι μήτε τὸν χιλιαρχήσαντα ἑκατονταρχεῖν, καὶ τοὺς ὑπάτους καὶ αμφω ἐξὸν ειναι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους καθίστασθαι καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν μήτε δύο αμα ἀρχὰς μήτε τὴν αὐτὴν δὶς ἐντὸς δέκα αρχειν ἐτῶν. Λατῖνοι δὲ καίπερ ενσπονδοι τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις οντες ἀπέστησαν καὶ πόλεμον ηραντο, ἐν φρονήματι γεγονότες οτι τε νεότητι ηκμαζον καὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀεὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς στρατείας ἀκριβῶς ησκηντο. οἱ δὲ τοῦτο γνόντες ἐξῆλθον, υπατον τόν τε Τουρκουάτον τὸ τρίτον ἑλόμενοι καὶ τὸν ∆έκιον, καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο αὐτοῖς κραταιὰν μάχην, κρίσιν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἑκάτεροι νομίζοντες ἀκριβῆ τῆς σφετέρας τύχης τε καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς. εδοξε δὲ περιφανεστέρα ἡ μάχη καὶ διά τι συμβεβηκός. τοὺς γὰρ Λατίνους οἱ υπατοι καὶ ὁμοσκεύους καὶ ὁμοφώνους τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ὁρῶντες ἐφοβήθησαν μὴ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τινες σφαλῶσι, τό 2.165 τε οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸ πολέμιον μὴ ῥᾷστα διαγινώσκοντες. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο προεῖπον σφίσι τά τε αλλα παρατηρεῖν ἀκριβῶς, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν μηδένα μηδενὶ τῶν ἐναντίων συμβαλεῖν. τοῦτο δὴ τὸ παράγγελμα οἱ μὲν ἐτήρησαν, ὁ δὲ Τουρκουάτου παῖς, στρατευόμενος ἐν τοῖς ἱππεῦσι, καὶ πεμφθεὶς πρὸς κατασκοπὴν τῶν ἐναντίων, παρεῖδεν οὐκ αὐθαδείᾳ, ἀλλὰ μέντοι φιλοτιμίᾳ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ ιππαρχος τῶν Λατίνων ἰδὼν αὐτὸν προσιόντα πρὸς μονομαχίαν προεκαλέσατο, καὶ μὴ δεξάμενον ταύτην διὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν, παρώξυνεν εἰπών "οὐ σὺ μέντοι Τουρκουάτου υἱὸς ει; οὐ