 87. An Army of Two |
89. A Favor Repaid  |
Quae rēs memorābilis mē admonet dē facinore similī sed maiōre, quod Rōmae antīquitus ab Horātiō quōdam factum esse trāditur. Cum enim bellum ā rēge Porsinnā esset Rōmānīs indictum, Iāniculum impetū repentinō captum est Rōmānīque perterritī trāns Tiberim in urbem quam celerrimē fugere coepērunt. Tum Horātius, quī sentiēbat hostēs, nisi pōns esset perruptus, urbe quoque statim potītūrōs, cīvīs suōs hortātus est ut pontem ignī ferrōque perrumperent, cum ipse impetum hostium sōlus sustinēret.
Itaque cum duōbus amīcīs fidēlibus, quōs pudor eum dēserere nōn patiēbātur, ad prīmum adītum pontis fortiter progressus, audācissimē ibi cōnstitit. Quā audaciā obstupefactī, hostēs prīmō paulum morātī sunt, deinde impetum ācriōrem fēcērunt; Horātius vērō, minās contumēliāsque vōciferāns, summā virtūte dīmicābat, nee locō cessit priusquam post tergum pōns perruptus est. Tum in Tiberim armātus dēsiluit, et ad rīpam alteram incolumis pervēnit, quō paulō ante, exiguā parte pontis adhūc relictā, amīcōs duo sē recipere coēgerat.
Sīc memoriae trāditum est; Livius autem (ā quō haec nārrantur) facinus hoc apud posterōs plūs glōriae fideī habuisse palam cōnfitētur.
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Until the second century B.C., the only bridge across the Tiber at Rome was of wood. Afterward several stone bridges were built, one of which is shown above.