MARCUS, a Roman youth, who, about 360 years before the Augustan age, devoted himself to the gods manes for the safety of his country. A wide gap had suddenly opened in the Forum, and the oracle had declared that it never would close until Rome threw into it whatever she had that was accounted most precious. Curtius immediately perceived that no less than a human sacrifice was required; and having armed himself and mounted his charger, he plunged into the gulf, which instantly closed over his head.

Curtius, Quintus, a Latin historian, who wrote the life of Alexander the Great in ten books, of which the first two are not indeed extant, but they were so well supplied by Freinsheimius that the loss is scarcely regretted. Where this writer was born, or when he lived, are points which no one pretends to know. By his style he is supposed to have flourished in or near the Augustan age; whilst some imagine the work to have been composed in Italy about three centuries ago, and the name of Quintus Curtius to be fictitiously added to it. Cardinal Duperron was so great an admirer of this work as to declare that one page of it was worth thirty of Tacitus, a declaration which at least shows that the cardinal's judgment was by no means equal to his admiration. M. le Clerc, at the end of his Art of Criticism, has charged this writer with great ignorance and many contradictions. But Curtius has nevertheless many valuable qualities as a writer, which will always make him read if not admired.