The Horatii and the Curatii brothers

[Dominus Rex]

I'm not sure, but is it possible that they were 3 brothers, but perhaps not triplets (i.e. different ages)?

 

I'm sure it would be common to have 3 brothers, all of fighting age, from both cities.

[Pantagathus]

I'm not sure, but is it possible that they were 3 brothers, but perhaps not triplets (i.e. different ages)?

 

It's definitely more possible than real triplets but Livy does indeed call them trigemini fratres which does indeed mean 'three brothers born at birth' a.k.a triplets.

[CiceroD]

I'm curious,

 

Was there a gens Horatii in historical Rome?

anyone who claimed descent from the surviving brother?

 

I immediately think of Horace but Im not too sure

[M. Porcius Cato]

Was there a gens Horatii in historical Rome?

anyone who claimed descent from the surviving brother?

 

From Smith's Dictionary:

 

HORATIA GENS, was an ancient patrician family at Rome (Lydus, de Mensur. iv. 1), belong ing to the third tribe, the Luceres, and one of the lesser houses. (Dionys. v. 23.) It traced its origin to the hero Horatus, to whom an oak wood was dedicated (Id. v. 14) ; and from its affinity with the Curiatii of Alba, seems to have been of Latin race. Some writers indeed described the Horatii as Albans, and as the champions of Alba in the combat with the Curiatii. (Liv. i. 24.) But the story of the triple combat generally assigned the Horatii to Rome. (Liv. I.e.; Dionys. iii. 12; Plut. Parall. Gr. et Rom. 16 ; Flor. i. 3; Aurel. Vict. de Vir. III. 4 ; Zonar. vii. 6.) There are some indications of rivalry between the Valeria gens and the Horatia (Dionys. v. 35 ; Liv. ii. 8); and since the Valerii were of Sabellian extraction (Plut. Num. 5; Dionys. ii. 46, v. 12), the feud may have been national as well as political. In the division of the Roman people (populus and plebs) by Servius Tullius into Agrarian tribes, one of the tribes was the Horatia. Monuments of the Horatia gens were the "sacer campus Horatiorum" (Mart. Epigr. iii. 47) ; the " Horatii Pila," or trophy of the victory over the Alban brethren (Dionys. iii. 21; Liv. i. 26; Schol. Bob. in Cic. Milonian. p. 277, Orelli) ; the tomb of Horatia, built near the Porta Capena of squared stone (Liv. i. 26) ; the graves of the two Horatii near Alba, extant in the 6th century of Rome (Liv. L c.; Nre- buhr, ft. H. vol. i. note 870) ; and the " Sororium Tigillum," or Sister's Gibbet. (Fest. s. v. Soror. TigilL ; Dionys. iii. 22; Liv. I. c.) The Horatia Gens had the surnames barbatus, cocles, pul- villus. A few members of the gens are men tioned without a cognomen.

[Caesar CXXXVII]

I'm curious,

 

Was there a gens Horatii in historical Rome?

anyone who claimed descent from the surviving brother?

 

I immediately think of Horace but Im not too sure

 

 

Yes , there were .

 

Marcus Horatius "Pulvillus" Consul (2 times , apparently) in the last years of the 6th century .

Gaius or Marcus Horatius "Pulvillus" Consul (apparently) in the middle of the 5th century .

Gaius Horatius "Pulvillus" Consul (apparently) in the middle of the 5th century .

Marcus Horatius "Barbatus" Decemvir with Consular powers (apparently) in the middle of the 5th century .

Lucius Horatius "barbatus" Military tribune with Consular powers (apparently) in the middle of the 5th century .

Lucius Horatius "pulvillus" Military tribune with Consular powers in 386 BCE (Varonian) .

Marcus Horatius Military tribune with Consular powers in 378 BCE (Varonian) .

 

The Horatii disappeared from the Fasti Consulares .

 

Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) , his connection to the Horatii of early Rome is problematic .

 

That's it .

Edited December 5, 2006 by Caesar CXXXVII