(About 510 B.C.)
The Sublician bridge[69] well-nigh afforded a passage to the enemy,
had it not been for one man, Horatius Cocles, given by fortune on that
day as a defense of Rome. He happened to be posted on guard at the
bridge and when he saw the Janiculum taken by a sudden assault, and
that the enemy were pouring down thence in full speed, and that his
own party in terror and confusion were abandoning their arms and
ranks--laying hold of them one by one, standing in their way, and
appealing to the faith of gods and men, he declared "that their flight
would avail them nothing if they deserted their post; if they passed
the bridge and left it behind them, there would soon be more of the
enemy in the Palatium and Capitol than in the Janiculum; for that
reason he advised and charged them to demolish the bridge, by their
sword, by fire, or by any means whatever; that he would stand the
shock of the enemy as far as could be done by one man."
He then advanced to the first entrance of the bridge, and being easily
distinguished among those who showed their backs in retreating from
the fight, facing about to engage the foe hand to hand, by his
surprizing bravery he terrified the enemy. Two indeed a sense of shame
kept with him--Spurius Lartius and Titus Herminius--men eminent for
their birth, and renowned for their gallant exploits.
With them he for a short time stood the first storm of the danger, and
the severest brunt of the battle. But as they who demolished the
bridge called upon them to retire, he obliged them also to withdraw to
a place of safety on a small portion of the bridge still left. Then
casting his stern eyes round all the officers of the Etrurians in a
threatening manner, he sometimes challenged them singly, sometimes
reproached them all: "the slaves of haughty tyrants, who, regardless
of their own freedom, came to oppress the liberty of others." They
hesitated for a considerable time, looking round one at the other, to
commence the fight; shame then put the army in motion, and a shout
being raised, they hurled their weapons from all sides on their single
adversary; and when they all stuck in the shield held before him, and
he with no less obstinacy kept possession of the bridge with firm
step, they now endeavored to thrust him down from it by one push, when
at once the crash of the falling bridge, at the same time a shout of
the Romans raised for joy at having completed their purpose, checked
their ardor with sudden panic. Then Cocles says, "Holy father
Tiberinus, I pray that thou wouldst receive these arms and this thy
soldier in thy propitious stream." Armed as he was, he leapt into the
Tiber, and, amid showers of darts hurled on him, swam across safe to
his party, having dared an act which is likely to obtain more fame
than belief with posterity. The state was grateful toward such valor;
a statue was erected to him in the Comitium, and as much land was
given to him as he plowed around in one day. The zeal of private
individuals also was conspicuous among the public honors. For amid the
great scarcity, each person contributed something to him according to
his supply at home, depriving himself of his own support.