Horatius Cocles (One-eyed Horatius) stands out as a hero in the battle that soon followed. Horatius and other Roman soldiers were guarding Rome's one vulnerable point, the Pons Sublicius, when the Etruscans suddenly attacked. The Romans, caught by surprise, lost their customary discipline and fled, but Horatius stayed at his post. Having stopped as many of the fleeing Romans as he could, he convinced them to destroy the bridge behind him, to prevent the Etruscans from having a clear path to the city, while he held back the Etruscan army.
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 | | He strides to the first part of the bridge, easily distinguished from those Romans with their backs turned in flight from the fighting. In his hands, his weapons, ready for engaging in hand-to-hand combat; the enemy was stunned, marveling at his recklessness. Fear of disgrace convinced two men, Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius, both famous by birth and deeds, to stay with him. With them he survived the first storm of danger and the most chaotic part of the battle. Then, since only a little part of the bridge remained, he forced them too to seek safety with those who were destroying the bridge.
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| | Casting his fiery eyes threateningly upon the Etruscan nobles, Horatius now challenged them one by one to combat, or he thundered at them all that they, simply a pack of slaves of overbearing kings, were coming to assail the freedom of others, since they no longer knew what freedom was. They hesitated for a moment, each waiting for the others to start the battle. At last shame made them advance, and raising a shout on all sides, they all cast their javelins at their solitary enemy. When the javelins stuck on Horatius' raised shield, he no less stubbornly controlled the bridge with his formidable presence; then, when they were about to try to thrust him aside with an attack, they were filled with sudden fear at the sound of the bridge crashing down and the Romans' joyful shouting, and held up their attack.
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| | Then Horatius says, ''I beg you, sacred Father Tiber, to receive these weapons and this soldier into your gentle flow." Thus, he jumped, weapons and all, into the Tiber and, despite the many missiles falling from above, swam safely to his friends. (Livy II.10.5-11)
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