Horatius Summoned
Rome wasn’t always a vast empire. Its origins are as humble as any civilization’s. In the late 6th century B.C., the Etruscan king Lars Porsena took advantage of Rome’s modest size to march against it with an army of thousands. He camped on the west side of the Tiber before launching a surprise attack on the Janiculum Hill.The Roman guard was defeated after a valiant but vain effort to repel the invaders. It retreated to the other side of the river, which it could cross by way of the Pons Sublicius, the only bridge at the time.
Horatius at the Bridge
Publius Horatius was a military officer in the early Roman Republic. As his last name suggests, he belonged to the patrician house of the Horatii. The Horatii were renowned for their legendary origins.The legend dates back to the famous contest between the Horatii and the Curatii during the rule of Tullius Hostilius, third king of Rome. The contest had asserted Roman dominance over neighboring Alba Longa after a bloody war. Three Horatii brothers fought against three Curatii brothers. The Curatii were wounded, but they managed to slay two Horatii. The last of the Horatii brothers was forced to fight alone. In a feat of clear bravery, he vanquished all three enemies, making courage the defining trait of the Horatian lineage.
Crossing the Bridge
As the Romans hurried to dismantle the bridge, Horatius fought back the Etruscans with the help of Spurius Lartius and Herminius, two Roman generals who had taken up arms alongside him after hearing his exhortations. Some accounts suggest that, in addition to several minor wounds, Horatius also suffered a grave injury to his face, later receiving the additional last name of “Cocles,” which means “one-eyed.”Right before the bridge collapsed, Spurius Lartius and Herminius dashed to safety. When they turned, they “saw brave Horatius stand alone” on the Etruscan side. He was the first to lead the defense and the last to leave it. As the astonished armies watched, he prayed to the river god Tiber and, “with his harness on his back, plunged headlong in the tide.”
Macaulay’s diction emphasizes the physical dimensions of Horatius’s struggle. As the river sweeps him, “fiercely ran the current, swollen high by months of rain/ And fast his blood was flowing; and he was sore in pain/ And heavy with his armour, and spent with changing blows.” The steadfast rhythm transports us into the Tiber’s waters, where Horatius’s strength was tested to its limits as he scrambled to remain afloat.
Yet Macaulay’s poem is as much about physical resilience as it is about mental fortitude, without which extreme endurance is impossible. Horatius isn’t only a soldier. He’s a hero whose excellence lies at the conjunction of physical and mental virtues. His body displayed such phenomenal resilience, but “his limbs were borne up bravely by the brave heart within.” That’s the cause of his heroism: a resolute mind and a clear purpose.
Horatius’s Sacrifice
Horatius’s valiant acts earned him glory as one of antiquity’s great mortal heroes. Yet Horatius never fought for personal aggrandizement. That’s an insufficient motive to endure such intense struggles. His admirable courage was fueled by his intense love for his fellow Romans and his commitment to ensuring Rome’s longevity—a purpose bigger than himself.To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late; And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his gods, And for the tender mother Who dandled him to rest, And for the wife who nurses His baby at her breast?
As we reminisce on Horatius’s story, let us think about what rivers lie before us, and, following his example, about what we might do should we ever cross.
