Horatius at the ***** Bridge:"Horatius was in command of the Pons Sublicius on that fateful day when the Etruscans through sheer numbers broke the Roman will to resist in the meadow near the bridge on the right bank of the Tiber River in the fourth year of the Republic. Horatius must have watched with dismay at the end of the bridge as the Etruscans effected a massacre of Roman troops milling about waiting to get across. When the Etruscans began to cross with the fleeing Romans Horatius and two front-line general officers, Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius, stood guard to sift friend from foe and kill the foe.Horatius' status as commander of the bridge probably gave him the authority to countermand the retreat ordered by the two senior officers when the friendlies were all across. Ordering them to have the bridge torn up he stationed himself behind a pile of corpses and held off the attackers, returning their missiles and preventing them from approaching. In astonishment they stood at a distance and hurled more missiles. Just as the bridge became useless he received a spear in the buttocks and leaping into the water in full armor swam to safety though given a crippling wound. Subsequently he became a retired disabled veteran held in high public honor and set at ease financially from the public treasury."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatius_Cocles#Horat ...