ROMAN MYTHOLOGY AND SAGA 659
The Oath of the Horatii. By Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825); oil on canvas, 1785,1287 4 X
168 in. David moved from Paris to Rome in order to imbibe the classical inspiration nec-
essary for this huge and heroic painting. The scene is based not on Livy, but on Corneille's
tragedy Horace (1640) and Noverre's ballet (1782) on the same theme. The elder Horatius,
holding the brothers' swords, administers the oath to the brothers, who salute with mil-
itary precision, which indicates (for David's patrons) patriotic self-sacrifice but bears more
ominous associations for modern viewers. On the right, in the background, the mother
of the three brothers comforts her grandchildren, and, in front, Sabina (wife of one of the
brothers and sister of the Curiatii) and Camilla (sister of the Horatii and engaged to one
of the Curiatii) mourn for their coming bereavement. (Paris, Louvre.)
Etruscan, although his name is Latin. Servius was a founder and organizer of
Roman institutions second only to Romulus, and a number of legends gathered
round him. His mother, Ocrisia, was a slave who had been captured in war and
assigned to the household of Tarquinius Priscus. She was of the royal house at
Corniculum. According to the legend, Servius' father was the son of Vulcan,
who miraculously appeared in phallic form to Ocrisia as she was sitting by the
fire in the palace. When Servius was a baby Vulcan showed his favor by caus-
ing a miraculous flame to play around the child's head without harming him.
Favored by such portents, Servius was assured of special treatment in the palace;