imperatores etiam se ipsos dis immortalibus capite
velato certis verbis pro republica devoverent."

[424] See Muenzer's article "Decii" in Pauly-Wissowa,
_Real-Encycl._; Soltau, _Die Anfaenge der roem.
Geschichtschreibung_, p. 48 foll.

[425] Livy viii. 9 foll.; Dio Cassius, fragment, xxxv.
6; Ennius, _Ann._ vi. 147, Baehrens. The latter fragment
is the oldest reference to the event which we possess,
and just sufficient to confirm Livy's account: "Divi hoc
audite parumper, ut pro Romano populo prognariter armis
certando prudens animum de corpore mitto."

[426] It is worth remarking that the sacrificial aspect
struck St. Augustine. In _Civ. Dei_, v. 18, he writes:
"Si se occidendos certis verbis quodam modo consecrantes
Decii devoverunt, ut illis cadentibus et iram deorum
sanguine suo placantibus Romanus liberaretur exercitus,"
and goes on to compare the Decii with Christian martyrs.
I am indebted for this reference to Mayor's note on
Cicero, _de Nat. deor._ ii. 3. 10.

[427] See above, p. 176; Wissowa, _R.K._ p. 352, note 1.

[428] By Deubner in _Archiv_, 1905, p. 69 foll. This
touching of the chin seems to be an example of that
personal contact which makes a man or thing holy; see,
_e.g._, Westermarck, _op. cit._ i. 586. Decius makes
himself holy for the sacrifice (as victim) by touching
(as priest) the only part of his person which was
exposed. For the magic touch of the hand see O.
Weinrich, _Antike Heiligungswuender_, p. 63 foll., and
Macrobius iii. 2. 7, for the touching of the altar by a
sacrificing priest.

[429] See above, p. 180.

[430] This is Deubner's explanation, which he elaborates
at length by examples of the worship of the spear or
sword among various peoples.

[431] This is peculiar to the formula in Livy viii. 9.
Is it possible that it may have some reference to the
fact that the Romans were fighting their own kin, the
Latins?

[432] Buecheler, _Umbrica_, pp. 22 and 102: "hastatos
inhastatos completo timore tremore, fuga formidine, nive
nimbo, fragore furore, senio servitio," where, however,
the translator from the Umbrian is assisted by the Latin
formulae we are discussing.

[433] Macrobius iii. 9. 10, "exercitum quem ego me
sentio dicere fuga formidine terrore compleatis," etc.
This is of comparatively la