This unsigned illustration, printed by Johann Schöffer (approximately 1468-1531), was inspired by a dramatic and tragic legend from the early history of Rome. In particular, it depicts a Roman warrior named Publius Horatius returning to Rome after surviving a three-vs-three duel in which his brothers (known collectively as the Horatii) fought a rival trio of siblings (called the Curiatii). The Curiatii hailed from Alba Longa, a rival of Rome, and the duel between the two sets of brothers, as the story goes, was meant to settle a war between Rome and Alba Longa that had started over a cattle dispute. In the dramatic showdown that ensued, Publius Horatius was the only Horatii to survive, and all of the Curiatii were slain in the fight. Publius Horatius’ triumph, however, would become the catalyst for further tragedy in the Horatii family.
Horatius’ sister, in a sad twist of fate, had been engaged to marry one of the Curiatii brothers before the war broke out. And the engagement had been one prompted by genuine love and affection. Therefore, the Horatii sister was in a horrific no-win situation where she would lose loved ones, no matter the result of the duel. Consequently, it should be no surprise that she was distraught and emotional on the day that the duel occurred. When she subsequently heard a triumphal parade being thrown in honor of the victorious Horatii, she hesitantly went out to see the return of the duelists. Seeing Publius Horatius alone, she would have realized that two of her brothers had been killed—which is tragedy enough to warrant crying. Yet, what really pushed her into a grief-ridden panic attack was the sight a bloodied hand-made cloak that she had made for her fiancé. The cloak was now being worn by her brother, Publius Horatius, as a looted trophy from the field of combat. Sight of the cloak caused Horatius’ sister to weep openly, provoking annoyance among the other nearby Roman revelers. Publius Horatius, too, heard the crying, and he broke himself free from the celebration to address his sister.
At this point, unfortunately, the narrative of the ancient legend took an incredibly dark turn. Instead of consoling his distraught sister, Horatius did the unthinkable. He grabbed a sword, angrily marched over to his sobbing sibling and plunged the blade deep into her chest, piercing her heart. As she bled to death, Horatius growled: “’Take your girl’s love…and give it to your lover in hell. What is Rome to such as you, or your brothers, living or dead? So perish all Roman women who mourn for an enemy!’” (Livy, History of Rome, Book I, section 26). It is this unexpected murder that Johann Schöffer’s print captures, albeit with the figures dressed in medieval garb.
After the bizarre killing, Publius Horatius was put on trial by the Romans. Yet, the murdered sister was not given justice by the court. The Roman populace cried out for Horatius to be spared, and even the father of the Horatii (who had lost two sons and one daughter that day) spoke in defense of his son. Horatius was said to have been acquitted with almost no punishment. The only repercussion, according to the historian Livy (c. 59 BCE-17 CE), involved a mysterious wooden gateway, called the Tigillum Sororium (Sister’s Beam), under which members of Horatius’ family had to regularly pass as a sort of obscure penance for the murder.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- The History of Rome by Livy, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt. New York: Penguin Classics, 2002.
- https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/6133bb90-2e4b-0133-fd70-58d385a7b928?canvasIndex=0
