h him, Titus Lucretius. He returned to Rome, and by
way of putting a slight upon Porsena, went and founded the city of
Sigliuria, while his army was close at hand. He built the walls of this
place at a vast expense, and sent away seven hundred colonists to it, as
if the war with which he was menaced was a very unimportant matter. But,
nevertheless, Porsena made a sharp assault upon the walls of Rome, drove
away the garrison, and very nearly entered the town. Poplicola
forestalled him by sallying from one of the gates, and fought by the
banks of the Tiber against overwhelming numbers until he was severely
wounded and had to be carried out of the battle. As the same fate befell
his colleague Lucretius, the Romans lost heart and endeavoured to save
themselves by flight into the town. As the enemy also began to push
across the wooden bridge, Rome was in danger of being taken. But
Horatius, surnamed Cocles, and with him two of the noblest citizens,
named Herminius and Lartius, held the wooden bridge against them. This
Horatius was surnamed Cocles because he had lost an eye in the wars, or
as some say because of the flatness of his nose, which made his eyes and
eyebrows seem to meet, having nothing to separate them, and therefore
the people meaning to call him Cyclops, by a mistake of pronunciation,
named him Cocles. This man stood at the end of the bridge and kept off
the enemy until his friends behind had cut down the bridge. Then he
plunged into the river in his armour and swam to the other bank, though
wounded by an Etruscan spear in the thigh. Poplicola, in admiration of
his valour, at once proposed and passed a decree that every Roman should
give him the price of one day's provisions. Moreover, he gave him as
much land as he could plough in one day. And a brazen statue of him was
placed in the temple of Vulcan, by which honourable allusion was made to
the lameness caused by his wound.

XVII. As Porsena pressed the siege, the Romans suffered from famine, and
another separate army of Etruscans invaded their territory. But
Poplicola, who was now consul for the third time, though he thought it
his chief duty to remain stedfast and hold out the city against Porsena,
did nevertheless sally out and attack these men, routing them with a
loss of five thousand. Now as to the legend of Mucius, it is told in
many different ways, but I will relate it as it seems most probable that
it happened. He was a man of great courage, and very