Horatius at the Bridge

The Romans had stood up to their last king, Tarquin, and expelled him. Well, Tarquin had actually been outside of the city, on campaign with the army, when a group of nobles in Rome declared him deposed. However, the Roman army sided with their city rather than their king, and Tarquin and his family were forced to seek shelter among friends elsewhere. Tarquin was an Etruscan, a civilised people to the north of Rome, so he sought shelter among his Etruscan friends. He convinced one of these more ambitious kings to help him regain this throne.

This time, the Romans faced more than just an outraged but powerless king: they faced a mighty Etruscan army. As their enemies marched towards the north banks of the Tiber River, the Romans attempted to hold them off, but were pushed across the bridge there. The Etruscans surged forward, hoping to cross the bridge and enter Rome.
Only one Roman warrior, Horatius the One-Eyed, remained on the bridge to hold it and allow the Romans to retreat. Two of the Roman commanders, seeing the danger, rushed forward to support him. The three men held off the Etruscan troops, sending their enemies hurtling wounded or dead into the river, while the last of the Romans made it to safety. However, Horatius’ two companions were unable to sustain their defence and urged the One-Eyed to retreat too. He refused, and instead told them that the bridge must be destroyed.

Tommaso Laurenti, "Horatius at the Bridge", 1587-1594
(Capitoline Museums, Rome)

As the planks and beams of the bridge were torn up, Horatius stood fast on the bridge and single-handedly held the foe. He received numerous wounds but took his stand behind a pile of his dead enemies. Finally, as the bridge began to fall away, Horatius cried to the spirit of the Tiber to protect him, jumped fully armed into the water and swam to the Roman shore. He was met with loud cheers from his comrades, who lauded him for his bravery and dedication to his duty.

Tarquin was denied his city and his Etruscan friends, after unsuccessfully besieging Rome, looked for easier pickings elsewhere. Horatius, badly wounded and disabled by the battle, was honoured with a statue, rations and land to farm. He became a byword among the Romans for fearless dedication to his country.

Etruscan helmet, c. 400-300 BC
(Penn Museum, Philadelphia)