XIV.  Tarquinius the son of Demaratus, when at war with the Sabines, vowed that he would build the temple of Jupiter Olympius, but it was built by Tarquinius Superbus, the son or grandson of him who made the vow.  He had not time to dedicate it, but was dethroned just before its completion.  Now when it was finished and thoroughly decorated, Poplicola was eager to have the glory of dedicating it.  Many of the nobles, however, grudged him this, and were more incensed at this than at all the glory which he had won as a general and as a legislator; for that, they said, was his vocation, but this was not.  They stirred up Horatius to oppose him and urged him to claim the right to dedicate the temple.  So when Poplicola was of necessity absent on military service, the senate decreed that Horatius should dedicate it, and brought him up into the Capitol to do so, a thing which they never could have done had Poplicola been present.  Some say that the two consuls casts lots, and that the one, sorely against his will, drew the lot to command the army in the field, and the other that to dedicate the temple.  But we may conjecture how this was, from the events which took place at the dedication.  On the Ides of September, which corresponds with the full moon in our month Metageitnion, all the people assembled in the Capitol, and Horatius, after silence had been enjoined upon all, performed the ceremony of dedication.  When, as is customary, he was about to take hold of the doors of the temple and say the prayer of dedication, Marcus, Poplicola’s brother, who had long been standing near the doors watching his opportunity, said to him, “Consul, your son has just died of sickness in the camp.”  All who heard this were grieved, but Horatius, undisturbed, merely said, “Fling his corpse where you please, for I cannot grieve for him,” and completed the dedication service.  The story was false, invented by Marcus to confuse Horatius.  His conduct is a remarkable instance of presence of mind, whether it be that he at once saw through the trick, or believed the story and was not disturbed by it.

XV.  The same fortune seems to have attended the second temple also.  The first, as we have related, was built by Tarquin, and dedicated by Horatius.  This was destroyed by fire in the civil wars.  The second was built by Sulla, but the name of Catulus appears as its dedicator, for Sulla died before it was completed.  This again was burned during the civil tumults in the time of Vitellius, and Vespasian built a third, which had nearly the same fortune as the others, except that he saw it completed, and did not see it shortly afterwards destroyed, being thus more fortunate than Tarquin in seeing the completion, and than Sulla in seeing the dedication of his work.  When Vespasian died the Capitol was burned.  The fourth and present temple was built and dedicated by Domitian.  It is said that Tarquin spent forty thousand pounds of silver in building the foundations;