If I asked you to stop and think of some famous heroes from American history, who would come to mind? Would you think of a military leader, like George Washington? a President, like FDR? or maybe someone who brought about cultural change, like Martin Luther King Jr.? Whoever you think of, stop and consider why we think of these people as heroes -- did they do something amazing? change the country? On a similar vein, why don't we ever think of every day people? What exactly makes someone a "hero?"
In this chapter we are going to explore a few legendary characters from early Roman history. They are a blend of myth and reality, but each did something or represented a certain value that the Romans thought was important to their culture. The most important of these values was "pietas" a devout loyalty to one's country, family, and gods. As we read, try to think about what qualities makes these people heroes!
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Who are our American Heroes?
In 2014, Smithsonian Magazine made a list of the "100 Most Significant Americans." Click here to take a look! How did they organize the list? Do you agree with it? Do you think anyone should or shouldn't be on it? What do you think makes an American Hero? |
Horatius Cocles
In 509 BCE, Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud), the last Roman King, was expelled from Rome due to the actions of his son and the rape of Lucretia. With his removal, the period of Roman Kings came to an end and the Roman Republic was born. Years later, an Etruscan King, Lars Porsenna, marched on the city of Rome with his army. At the time, the only bridge across the Tiber river was the Pons Sublicius (built by King Ancus Marcius). After a brief fight, the outnumbered Romans retreated over the Pons Sublicius to the city. As the Etruscans rushed toward the retreating Romans, three men stood at the entrance to the bridge to hold
off the Etruscan advance while the Romans fled across to safety. |
According to tradition, one of these three men was Publius Horatius Cocles. When his two comrades rushed back to Rome they told Horatius to join them. Instead, he refused, and decided to hold the bridge against the entire Etruscan army himself.
Horatius understood that if the Etruscans cross the bridge, Rome would fall. So, he ordered his fellow soldiers to destroy the bridge behind him while he held the Etruscans off. The Etruscans were shocked to see one man putting up a suicidal defense of the bridge. Horatius held the bridge, even after getting hit by spears and injured. Finally, when he heard the bridge had been destroyed behind him, he prayed to Tiber, the god embodying the Tiber River and asked for safe passage, with this he jumped into the Tiber River and swam through a hail of spears and arrows back to Rome, where he was hailed as a hero.
Horatius' actions were honored in Roman tradition as a symbol of "pietas," as he put his country and the lives of his fellow citizens over his own. His actions saved the city and stalled the Etruscan assault. He was remembered throughout history as a hero of his country, with leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill referencing this episode. |
A medieval miniature depicting Horatius at the bridge
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Charles Le Brun's "Horatius at the Bridge" (1642)
Historical footage of Horatius bravely defending the Pons Sublicius...
Mucius Scaevola
Following the heroic actions of Horatius at the bridge, the Etruscans under Lars Porsenna laid siege to the city of Rome. A Roman man, Gaius Mucius Scaevola, volunteered to enter the Etruscan camp as a spy and murder Lars Porsenna. This would end the war without further bloodshed. Crossing the Tiber River, Mucius snuck into the Etruscan camp and found the army waiting in lines to be paid. Unfortunately, there were two men standing on a raised platform in very similar clothing. One was Lars Porsenna, the other was his scribe. Mucius was afraid to ask which man was the king, since this would give away the fact that he was not Etruscan. So, he took a guess and killed one of the men. It turned out the man he killed was the scribe, though, and not Lars Porsenna.
As he tried to escape, he was captured by the crowd and brought before Lars Porsenna. According to Livy, Mucius said the following: |
A statue of Gaius Mucius Scaevola
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I am a Roman citizen. Men call me Gaius Mucius. I am your enemy and as an enemy I would have slain you. I can die as resolutely as I can kill. Both to do and to endure valiantly is the Roman way. (translation by Benjamin Oliver Foster)
Scaevola then declared that there were hundreds more young Roman men willing to come and kill Lars Porsenna and that the Etruscan king would never be safe until he withdrew from Rome. Porsenna then ordered Mucius to be thrown into the fire unless he would divulge the Roman's plans for assassinating him. In response to this, Mucius responded:
Look, that you may see how cheap they hold their bodies whose eyes are fixed upon glory! (translation by Benjamin Oliver Foster)
Saying this, Mucius stuck his right hand into the fire and held it there without making a sound as his hand burned. Porsenna was shocked and impressed at the bravery of the young Roman and allowed him to return to Rome, saying "Go back, since you do more harm to yourself than to me." Due to his actions, Gaius Mucius was given the cognomen (or nickname) "Scaevola" ("lefty"). Scaevola's actions were a symbol of honor and Roman bravery.
Cloelia
Following the assassination attempt by Mucius Scaevola, the Etruscan king Lars Porsenna sent envoys to Rome to secure a peace treaty. While Porsenna demanded the restoration of Etrusucan kings, the Romans refused but offered to give back lands they had taken. Porsenna agreed, but also demanded Roman hostages to ensure the treaty was followed. This hostage exchange was a common practice at this time. One of these Roman hostages was a young woman named Cloelia.
Cloelia led an escape from the Etruscan camp, leading a group of young Roman girls as she rode on a horse. As the Etruscans shot arrows a them, Cloelia led the girls across the Tiber River and they all safely reached Rome. |
Cloelia crossing the Tiber River by Peter Paul Rubens
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When he heard of the escape, Lars Porsenna was enraged and sent envoys to Rome demanding the return of Cloelia. The Romans, fearing that the peace treaty would be broken, consented and sent Cloelia back. When she returned to the camp, however, Porsenna praised her bravery and deemed her actions braver than those of Horatius or Mucius Scaevola. Porsenna offered the Romans a renewed peace treaty and even allowed Cloelia to return to Rome with half of the hostages of her choosing. Upon returning to Rome, Cloelia was honored as a hero and the Romans even built a statue of her on a horse on the Via Sacra, an honor that was unheard of for a woman and usually reserved only for men.
Cloelia was another symbol of bravery and Roman virtue. Part of her legacy, though, is due to the fact that she was a woman. In this Roman culture, this level of bravery was expected only of men, so the fact that a woman did such an incredibly brave action made her even more famous in her time. Cloelia stood for centuries as a symbol of what a Roman woman should be.
Cloelia was another symbol of bravery and Roman virtue. Part of her legacy, though, is due to the fact that she was a woman. In this Roman culture, this level of bravery was expected only of men, so the fact that a woman did such an incredibly brave action made her even more famous in her time. Cloelia stood for centuries as a symbol of what a Roman woman should be.
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Click here to open an Ancient History Encyclopedia article on Cincinnatus.
Cincinnatus Leaves the Plow to Dictate Laws to Rome by Juan Antonio Ribera (c. 1806)