Here is a famous legend passed to us by Livy. In the 6th Century B.C., the Romans expelled their last Etruscan king. Tarquin immediately sought an alliance with King Lars Porsena of Clusium. Tarquin convinced Porsena that overthrowing kings was a trend that needed to be stopped. Porsena agreed and marched on Rome with a large army. It approached Rome on a road that crossed the Tiber River at the Sublician Bridge. The Romans assigned to guard the bridge were surprised and panicked. One of them, Horatius Cocles, stopped them from running away and insisted they defend the bridge. He ordered his comrades to render the bridge unpassable while he kept the enemy off it. Hortatius went to the enemy end of the bridge and backed by two others, fought to keep the enemy at bay. He used his shield to block arrows and his sword to stab any foe who dared to face him. When he heard the shout that the bridge had been demolished, he uttered a little prayer and leaped into the river. With arrows chasing him, he swam to safety on the other shore. The enemy army was stymied in its attempt to take Rome by surprise assault. Horatius became a famous hero and parents would tell their children the story of “Horatius at the Bridge”.
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