DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0431
364 Tigillum Sorormm and lupiter Tigillus
fight between the triplets of Alba and the triplets of Rome. Horatius,
the sole survivor, had stabbed his sister for lamenting the loss of
her lover, one of the vanquished Curiatii. Condemned to death by
the duoviri, Horatius appealed to the people, who acquitted him of
the capital charge, but bade his father make satisfaction for the
offence. The elder Horatius thereupon offered certain expiatory
sacrifices, which were afterwards perpetuated by the family, laid a
beam across the street, and caused his son with covered head to
pass under it as under a yoke1. This beam, adds Livy'2, was kept in
constant repair at the public expense. Indeed, it is mentioned as
still existing by more than one fourth-century writer3. With regard
to its construction our authorities are not in exact agreement.
Dionysios of Halikarnassos, who was long resident in Rome (30—8
B.C. or later) and no doubt knew the locality well, states that
the beam was let into a wall at either end4. But Pompeius Festus,
presumably epitomising the account given by M. Verrius Flaccus
(c. 10 B.C.), asserts that the beam rested on a couple of uprights5.
He that as it may, both Dionysios and Festus speak of two altars,
which stood beneath it,; and were dedicated to Iuno Sororia and to
Ianus Curiatius respectively7. Dionysios' observation that the beam
was ' honoured with sacrifices by the Romans every year8' is con-
firmed by the fragmentary calendar of the Arval Brothers9, which
against the first of October—a day appropriate both to Ianus and to
Iuno—has the entry : '(Sacrifice) to the Sister's Beam at the Cross-
road of Acilius.' T. Mommsen drew attention to the surprising fact
that the Beam itself is here the object of worship10. This, however,
ceases to surprise us, when we remember that the Beam was a sort
5 ff. Lindsay, cp. Paul, ex Fest. p. 307, 2 f. Miiller, p. 399, 2 ft". Lindsay, Aur. Vict, de
vir. ill. 4. 5—9, schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Mil. 7 p. 63, 4 ft". Hildebrandt.
1 In the Class. Rev. 1904 xviii. 369 I suggested that the ' yoke ' under which conquered
troops were made to pass, being an erection of three £t5A<z (Dion. Hal. ant. Rom. 3. 22)
or hastae (Liv. 3. 28), may well have been a symbol of Ianus Quirinus.
2 Liv. 1. 26.
3 Aur. Vict, de vir. ill. 4. 9, curios/em urbis regionum xiv and notitia regionum urbis
xiv reg. 4 (H. Jordan Topographie der Stadt Rom itn Alterlhu?n Berlin 1871 ii. 546),
schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Mil. 7 p. 64, 2 ff. Hildebrandt.
4 Dion. Hal. atit. Rom. 3. 22.
5 Fest. p. 297 a 24 f. Miiller, p. 380, 18 f. Lindsay.
u Cp. Schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Mil. 7 p. 64, 2 ff. Hildebrandt.
7 Fest. p. 297 a 27 f. Miiller, p. 380, 21 f. Lindsay.
8 Dion. Hal. ant. Rom. 3. 22.
11 G. B. De Rossi in the Bull. d. Inst, i860 p. 71 ff. with fig.
10 T. Mommsen in the Corp. inscr. Lat. i. i2 p. 330 K • OCT ■ (Oct. 1).—N Tigillo
soror(io) ad compitum Acili arv. (inter add. posteriora et scriptum sic, nt possit train ad
Oct. 2); Tigill(o) sor(orio) pavl. ...Ipsum tigillum pro numine cultum esse (-aliter enim
non videntur accipi posse) docuerunt nos fasti Arvalium.
fight between the triplets of Alba and the triplets of Rome. Horatius,
the sole survivor, had stabbed his sister for lamenting the loss of
her lover, one of the vanquished Curiatii. Condemned to death by
the duoviri, Horatius appealed to the people, who acquitted him of
the capital charge, but bade his father make satisfaction for the
offence. The elder Horatius thereupon offered certain expiatory
sacrifices, which were afterwards perpetuated by the family, laid a
beam across the street, and caused his son with covered head to
pass under it as under a yoke1. This beam, adds Livy'2, was kept in
constant repair at the public expense. Indeed, it is mentioned as
still existing by more than one fourth-century writer3. With regard
to its construction our authorities are not in exact agreement.
Dionysios of Halikarnassos, who was long resident in Rome (30—8
B.C. or later) and no doubt knew the locality well, states that
the beam was let into a wall at either end4. But Pompeius Festus,
presumably epitomising the account given by M. Verrius Flaccus
(c. 10 B.C.), asserts that the beam rested on a couple of uprights5.
He that as it may, both Dionysios and Festus speak of two altars,
which stood beneath it,; and were dedicated to Iuno Sororia and to
Ianus Curiatius respectively7. Dionysios' observation that the beam
was ' honoured with sacrifices by the Romans every year8' is con-
firmed by the fragmentary calendar of the Arval Brothers9, which
against the first of October—a day appropriate both to Ianus and to
Iuno—has the entry : '(Sacrifice) to the Sister's Beam at the Cross-
road of Acilius.' T. Mommsen drew attention to the surprising fact
that the Beam itself is here the object of worship10. This, however,
ceases to surprise us, when we remember that the Beam was a sort
5 ff. Lindsay, cp. Paul, ex Fest. p. 307, 2 f. Miiller, p. 399, 2 ft". Lindsay, Aur. Vict, de
vir. ill. 4. 5—9, schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Mil. 7 p. 63, 4 ft". Hildebrandt.
1 In the Class. Rev. 1904 xviii. 369 I suggested that the ' yoke ' under which conquered
troops were made to pass, being an erection of three £t5A<z (Dion. Hal. ant. Rom. 3. 22)
or hastae (Liv. 3. 28), may well have been a symbol of Ianus Quirinus.
2 Liv. 1. 26.
3 Aur. Vict, de vir. ill. 4. 9, curios/em urbis regionum xiv and notitia regionum urbis
xiv reg. 4 (H. Jordan Topographie der Stadt Rom itn Alterlhu?n Berlin 1871 ii. 546),
schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Mil. 7 p. 64, 2 ff. Hildebrandt.
4 Dion. Hal. atit. Rom. 3. 22.
5 Fest. p. 297 a 24 f. Miiller, p. 380, 18 f. Lindsay.
u Cp. Schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Mil. 7 p. 64, 2 ff. Hildebrandt.
7 Fest. p. 297 a 27 f. Miiller, p. 380, 21 f. Lindsay.
8 Dion. Hal. ant. Rom. 3. 22.
11 G. B. De Rossi in the Bull. d. Inst, i860 p. 71 ff. with fig.
10 T. Mommsen in the Corp. inscr. Lat. i. i2 p. 330 K • OCT ■ (Oct. 1).—N Tigillo
soror(io) ad compitum Acili arv. (inter add. posteriora et scriptum sic, nt possit train ad
Oct. 2); Tigill(o) sor(orio) pavl. ...Ipsum tigillum pro numine cultum esse (-aliter enim
non videntur accipi posse) docuerunt nos fasti Arvalium.