Horatius Cocles

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Horatius Cocles ( cocles: Latin for " one-eyed man " ) was a folk hero of Roman mythology from the family of the Horatii. He is said to have defended itself in the year 507 BC the lead to Rome bridge over the Tiber against the Etruscans. Meanwhile the Romans tore the bridge behind him and Cocles swam with the help of the gods in full armor safely to Rome (according to Livy ) or drowned in the river (according to Polybius ).

The legend about him was probably made by a one-eyed Vulcan statue, which stood at the bridge over the Tiber.

The Legend

When the fight began, the rural population sought refuge behind the city walls. The Janiculum, that hill that was right across the Tiber was the Etruscan power already fallen into the hands, so it was irrefutably to demolish the bridge.

Horatius Cocles held as leader of the bridge watch back his fleeing companions and ordered them to chop the pillars of the bridge. Together with Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius he held under his on the far end of the bridge stand his two companions, he ordered them to get to safety before the bridge collapsed. But he sent a prayer to the God of the river and jumped in full armor into the water. In a hail of bullets, he reached the other shore.

For this feat was honored Horatius Cocles allegedly with a statue on the square of the People's Assembly ( comitium ) and gave him as much land as he could plow in a day.

Swell

• Polybius, Histories, 6.55.
• Livy, History of Rome, from 2.10 to 13.