Marcus Horatius Pulvillus

Marcus Horatius pulvillus is a figure in Roman mythology. He belonged to the patrician family of the Horatii. His surname pulvillus immersed in Cicero's treatise De domo for the first time.

The ancient historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus describes very decorated ( and therefore probably as part of a later version of the legend ) the participation of Marcus Horatius at the expulsion of the Tarquins from Rome ( about 510 BC), during which he with the later consul Titus Herminius is left behind by the king Tarquinius in the camp at Ardea. When they hear of the overthrow of Rome, they deny the king the recording in the camp, close with the enemy a truce and returned with the troops to Rome. Most ancient sources mention Marcus Horatius as consul of the first year of the Republic ( 509 BC ) after Lucius Junius Brutus fell in battle, Spurius Lucretius Tricipitinus died after a few days and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus went into exile. His counterpart was Publius Valerius Poplicola. With this he led his second consulship (507 BC).

The only surviving, but mentioned in all sources act of Marcus Horatius was the consecration of the kings built by the last Roman temple of Jupiter on the Capitol. Why him and not his older colleague Publius Valerius Poplicola was bestowed this honor is controversial among ancient historians. Livy, Cassius Dio and Plutarch are of the opinion that it fell to him by lot, while Dionysius assert ( Plutarch and elsewhere), Valerius had been on a campaign at the relevant time. Furthermore, the story goes that the Marcus Horatius was reported in the consecration of the death of his son, but what it could not get out of the rest. Livy, Plutarch and Cassius Dio trying to embed this passage with the statement in the context that Marcus Valerius was reserved the honor of the consecration for his absent brother, and therefore tried to stop the ceremony.

Other sources mention Marcus Horatius as Suffektkonsul or Pontifex Maximus.