Hendrick Goltzius: Marcus Curtius (1586)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

An engraving by the Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617). Marcus Curtius was a mythological young Roman hero from the 4th century BC. According to the legend a large earthquake caused a deep pit to open in the Roman Forum. The Romans tried to fill the pit but all their efforts were in vain. Desperate they consulted an augur who responded that the gods demanded the most precious possession of the country. The people were unsure what to think of what that was. Marcus Curtius however said that the most prices possession that they had was the arms and the courage of the Romans. 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. Engraving from 1586.