Fights of Horaces and Curiaces

The three Horaces and the three Curiaces were the mythological champions who, according to the legend brought back by Tite-Live, would have fought in duel during the war between Alba-the-Long Rome and , during the reign of Tullus Hostilius (according to the tradition, third king de Rome between 673 and 641 av. J. - C.).

The two cities decided by mutual agreement to regulate their conflict by designating three champions on each side. Tite-Live considers, without in being certain that Horaces were the champions of Rome and Curiaces those of Alba. According to the legend, Albains were all the three wounded ones quickly and two of the killed Romans. Horace surviving, Publius Horatius escaped, continued by Curiaces wounded. But those did not catch up with it at the same time, which made it possible Horace to kill them one after the other. On its return to Rome, it killed his own sister who cried its been engaged, one of the three Curiaces, because “thus the Romans die crying an enemy”. Condemned to death, he was discharged in front of the Parliament of the People but had to pass under the Joug, symbol of the tender to the Roman law.

People Horatia is then subjected to purifying Cérémonie S.

Artistic representations

Texts of Tite-Live

The Combat of Horaces and Curiaces

Under the reign of Tullus Hostilius, a fatal war burst between the inhabitants of Alba and those of Rome. To put an end to this conflict, the chiefs of the two people concluded an agreement: three brothers would defend each camp, Horaces for Rome and Curiaces for Alba.

As of the first shock, the rattlings of the weapons made pass a big chill in the assistance; all lost of it the voice, and the breath. But in the middle of the fray, the three albains were wounded, while two Romans fell, dying one on the other. Their fall made push cries of joy with the army albaine; the Roman legions trembled for their single champion, that the three Curiaces had surrounded. Happily it was unscathed, too weak, with him only admittedly for all its joined together adversaries, but frightening for each one taken separately. In order to fight them separately, it escaped, by thinking that each casualty would continue it as far as his forces.

It was already with certain outdistances battle field, when it turned the head and saw its very spaced prosecutors. The first was not far: from a jump, it returned on him: Horace had already killed its adversary and winner, walked to the second combat. Pushing acclamations, the Romans encourage their champion: he, without giving to the Curiace last, which was however not far, time to arrive, it kills the other. Maintaining the fight was equal, surviving against survivor; but they had neither the same moral one, nor the same force. One, twice victorious, went proudly to its third combat; the other was trailed there, exhausted. It was not a combat: it is hardly if Albain could carry its weapons; it plunges to him its sword in the throat, the slaughtering, and the dépouille.

Of return of the combat

Horace went at the head, carrying the skins of the three brothers. His/her young sister, promised in marriage to the one of Curiaces, came to her meeting to the Capène door; recognizing on the shoulders of his/her brother the coat of promised in marriage sound, that it had made it even, it untied its hair and addressed all in tears to its been engaged which was not any more. The lamentations of his/her sister, coming to disturb general joy, excited the anger of Horace: it fired its sword and transpierced the young person fille.

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