Page - 112 - in The Power of Urban Water - Studies in premodern urbanism

112 DylanK. Rogers Fig. 5:Rome, Forum Romanum, relief of MettiusCurtius, LacusCurtius. men,heading for themarshy forumbasin, thevalleybetween the twohills. There,hegot stuck, causing thebattle to stop to allow forMettius to free himself. Romulus andhismen, however, are subsequently victorious in the battle. This episode is commemorated by a relief plaque foundnear theLacusCurtius in the 16th century,whichwasbelieved tohavesomehowdecorat- ed the lacus proper (Fig. 5).40 In the second and far better known version, an earthquake or another phenomenon ripped open ahole in themiddle of the forum in 362BC.41 According to Livy, prophets stated that the chasmmust be filled, or the Republic would fall.42 Despite the Romans’ attempts to fill the hole, it was reported that it could only be closed by the ‘chief strength of the Roman people’.43 Marcus Curtius, a young soldier, rode on his horse into the chasm,whichpromptly closed. The stories are, on the surface, drastically different. There are similarities, however, be- tween the two thatarecrucial for theunderstoodmeaningbehind themonument.Romansupe- riority is stressed, whether by Romulus’ victory over Mettius’ men, or the ability for Roman excellence to fillupa threateningchasmin the forumfloor.Moreover,bothepisodesemphasize thepresenceofwater in the forum.Wecannot forget that the forumwas indeedonceaswamp, commemorated not only in the preserved literary andmythological traditions, but also on the relief plaqueadded to theLacusCurtius for all to see. Therewasno runningwater by the time ofAugustusat the lacus, butaRomanonlyneeded to imagine the runningwatersof theCloaca Maxima,whichwouldhavebeen flowingunderneath the lacus.44Despite the lackofwater, the Lacus Curtius was an effective commemoration of the past mytho-historical events that were said to have occurred there. The spot is illustrated by a plaque and a puteal, insinuating that at somepoint therewas flowingwater there. Ina sense, the structure in the forumprompts the passers-by into ‘the present of the urban condition, which allows [them] to communicate not only with the city’s past (through its mythology and patrimony), but also with an imaginary future’.45 While Romans who saw the monument, which commemorates the past, interacted with it in thepresent, theywouldalsohavebeen stimulated to consider the future,whether of the city itself and how tomake the city better, or even of their own lives, perhaps given that thehumancondition is tied towater for survival. 40 Coarelli 1985, 226–229. 41 Liv. 7, 6, 1–6;Dion.Hal. Ant. Rom. 14, 11, 3–4;Val.Max. 5, 6, 2; Plin.HN. 15, 78; Cass.Dio 30, 1–2. 42 Liv. 7, 6, 1–6. 43 Liv. 7, 6, 2. 44 Spencer 2007, 65. 45 Spencer 2007, 67f.