do Porsena in spirit, he built the town of Sigliuria, notwithstanding the enemy's approach; and when at an immense expence he had finished the walls, he placed in it a colony of seven hundred men, as if he held his adversary very cheap. Porsena however assaulted it in a spirited manner, drove out the garrison, and pursued the fugitives so close, that he was near entering Rome along with them. But Publicola met him without the gates, and engaging him by the side of the river, sustained the enemy's attack, who pressed on with numbers; till at last, sinking under the wounds he had gallantly received, he was carried out of the battle. Lucretius his collegue having had the same fate, the courage of the Romans drooped, and they retreated into the city for security. The enemy making good their pursuit to the wooden-bridge, Rome was in great danger of being taken; when Horatius Cocles, and with him two others of the first rank, Herminius and Spurius Lartius 50, stopped them at the bridge. Horatius had the surname of Cocles from his having lost an eye in war; or (as some will have it) from the form of his nose, which was so very flat that both his eyes, as well as eyebrows, seemed to be joined together; so that when the vulgar intended to call him Cyclops, by a -ul artit mid doen

48 Sigliuria was not built at this time, nor out of ostentation, as Plutarch says; for it was built as a barrier against the Latins and the Hernici, and not in the third, but in the second consulship of Publicola. It is probably the same place, which Livy (i. 55.) calls Signia.

He was son to a brother of Horatius the consul, and a descendent of that Horatius, who remained victorious in the signal combat between the Horatii and Curiatii under Tullus Hostilius. In the account of this engagement, the details of Plutarch and Dion. Halic, must be considered as supplementary to each other.

In the Greek text it is Lucretius, which is probably a corruption of Lartius, the name we find in Livy. The bridge was the Pons Subliçius..

misnomer they called him Cocles, which name he retained. This man, standing at the head of the bridge, defended it against the enemy, till the Romans broke it down behind him. He then, accoutred as he was, plunged into the Tiber, and swam to the other side, but was wounded in the hip with a Tuscan spear. Publicola, struck with admiration of his valour, immediately procured a decree, that every Roman should give him one day's provisions 52; and that he should have as much land, as he himself could encircle with a plough in one day. They erected likewise his statue in brass in the temple of Vulcan, with a view to console him by this honour for his wound, and the lameness consequent upon it 5.

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While Porsena laid close siege to the city, the Romans were attacked with famine, and another body of Tuscans ravaged the country. Publicola, who was now consul the third time, was of opinion that no operations could be carried on against Porsena but defensive ones. He marched out 54 however privately against those Tuscans, who had committed such ravages, defeated them, and killed five thousand.

51 Dion. Halic. says, that he was so called, from having lost an eye in this battle, which is the most probable; was a very intrepid warrior, and was the only one of the three who held out to the last; his two companions having retreated, before the bridge was broken down behind them.*

52 He had probably three hundred thousand contributors, for even the women readily furnished their quota. There was at that time, too, a considerable scarcity at Rome.

53 This defect, and his having but one eye, prevented his ever being consul. (L.) To reconcile the site here assigned to the statue with the accounts given by Livy (ii. 10.) and Dion. Halic., who both state that it was placed in a different situation, consult A. Gellius iv. 5.*

5 The consuls spread a report, which was soon carried into the Tuscan camp by the slaves who deserted, that the next day all the cattle brought thither from the country would be sent to graze in the fields under a guard. This bait drew the enemy into an ambush.

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The story of Mucius 55 has been the subject of many pens, and is variously related: I shall give that account of it, which seems most credible. Mucius was in all respects a man of merit, but particularly distinguished by his valour. Having secretly formed a scheme to take off Porsena, he made his way into his camp in a Tuscan dress, where he likewise took care to speak the Tuscan language. Thus disguised he approached the seat, where the king sat with his nobles; and as he did not certainly know Porsena, and thought it improper to ask, he drew his sword and killed the person who seemed most likely to be the king. Upon this he was seized, and examined. In the mean time, as there happened to be a portable altar there with fire upon it, where the king was about to offer sacrifice, Mucius thrust his righthand into it: and, as the flesh was burning, he kept looking upon Porsena with a firm and menacing aspect; till the king, astonished at his fortitude, returned him his sword with his own hand. He received it with his left-hand, whence we are told he had the surname of Scævola (which signifies left-handed') and thus addressed himself to Porsena; "Your threatenings I regarded not, but I "am conquered by your generosity, and out of "gratitude will declare to you, what no force "should have wrested from me. There are three hundred Romans that have formed the same "resolution with mine, who now wander about

55 C. Mucius Cordus.

36 Livy (ii, 12.) says, that Porsena threatened Mucius with the torture by fire, to make him discover his accomplices; upon which Mucius thrust his hand into the flame, to let him see that he was not to be intimidated. (L.) In the particulars of the narrative this historian, Val. Max. (iii. 3.), and Plutarch nearly agree. Those detailed by Dion. Halic. (v. 4.) are somewhat different. Among other circumstances, he wholly omits the mention of his burning off his right-hand.*

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your camp, watching their opportunity. It was my lot to make the first attempt, and I am not sorry that my sword was directed by fortune against another, instead of a man of so much honour; who, as such, should rather be a friend "than an enemy to the Romans." Porsenal bél lieved this account, and was more inclined to hearken to terms, not so much (in my opinion) through fear of the three hundred assassins, as from admiration of the dignity of the Roman valour All authors call this man Mucius Scævola ", except Athenodorus Sandon, who, in a work addressed to Augustus sister Octavia, states that he was named Posthumus. Jaa o

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Publicola, who did not regard Porsena as so bitter an enemy to Rome, but that he deserved to be taken into it's friendship and alliance, far from refer refusing to refer the dispute with Tarquin to his decision, was really desirous of it; and several times offered to prove, that Tarquin was the worst of men, and justly deprived of the crown. When Tarquin roughly answered, that he would admit of no arbitrator, much less of Porsena, if he changed his mind and forsook his alliance"; Porsena was offended, and began to entertain an ill opinion of him and being solicited by his son Aruns, who used all his interest for the Romans, he was prevailed upon to put an end to the war, on condition that they ceded the part of Tuscany which they

57 Dion. Halic. however ascribes the pacification to the successful sally of Publicola, mentioned above, which he relates as subsequent to Mucius' exploit.*

38 Mucius was rewarded with a large piece of ground belonging to the public. Sandon, a stoic philosopher of Tarsus mentioned below, was successively tutor to Augustus and Tiberius Cæsar.

59 This answer is not recorded by Livy, nor from the statement of Dion. Halic. (v. 4.) does it seem at all probable.*

had conquered, together with their prisoners, and received their deserters. For the performance of these conditions, they gave as hostages ten young men and as many virgins, of the best families in Rome; among whom was Valeria, the daughter of Publicola.

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o: Upon the faith of this treaty, Porsena had ceased from all acts of hostility; when the Roman virgins went down to bathe, at a place where the bank forming itself in a crescent embays the river in such a manner, as to make it quite calm and undisturbed with waves. As no guard was near, and they saw none passing or repassing, they had a violent inclination to swim over, notwithstanding the depth and strength of the stream Some say one of them, named Cloelia, passed it on horseback, and encouraged the other virgins as they swam. When they came safe to Publicola, he neither commended nor approved their exploit; but was grieved to think that he should appear inferior to Parsena in point of honour, and that this daring enterprise of the virgins should make the Romans Isuspected of unfair proceeding. He took them, <therefore, and sent them back to Porsena. Tartquin, having timely intelligence of this, laid an cambuscade for them, and attacked their convoy with a great superiority of force. They stood, however, upon their defence; and Valeria, the daughter of Publicola, broke through the combatants with three servants, who conducted her safe to Porsena's camp. As the skirmish was

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60 The Romans were required to re-instate the Veientes in the → possession of seven villages, which they had taken from them in former wars. (Liv. ii. 13.)

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JLATOC Here the historians so often quoted, Livy and Dion. Halie., vary from Plutarch and from each other; but to an extent so plight, as not to justify any detail of their differences.*

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