Horatius and the Bridge
Three Romans stand alone on a crumbling bridge—facing the entire Etruscan army.
Horatius and the Bridge, public domain
Hold the bridge—at any cost.
In the fog of early Roman legend, the city teetered on the brink. The Etruscan king Lars Porsenna marched his army to Rome’s very gates. Only the wooden bridge over the Tiber separated invaders from the city walls.
Three against thousands.
Horatius Cocles, Spurius Lartius, and Titus Herminius stood their ground against the Etruscan advance while Romans hacked at the bridge behind them. The lumber creaked, arrows flew. At the last second, Horatius ordered his friends back and faced the enemy alone until the bridge fell.
A leap into legend.
With the river swirling below, Horatius plunged in, wounded and encumbered by armor. Ancient accounts claim he made it to safety, cheered by the city he’d saved. For generations, Rome remembered the moment a handful of men saved everything.
Horatius Cocles and two companions bought Rome precious minutes by holding the bridge over the Tiber, then Horatius swam for his life while arrows filled the sky. The city survived because a handful of men refused to run.
