Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 18, RHI-SCR

Rome.
69
and de¬
feats their
army.
7® r
Bravery of
Horatius
Codes.
ROM [13
fide. Contrary to their expectations, however, the La¬
tins remained quiet; but a haughty embaffy was re¬
ceived from Porfena king of Clufium in Hetruria, com¬
manding them either to take back the Tarquins to
Rome, or to reftore them their eftates. To the firft
of thefe demands the confuls returned an abfolute re-
fufal ; and, as to the fecond, they anfwered, that it was
impracticable ; a part of thofe eftates having been con-
fecrated to Mars, and the reft divided among indigent
people, from whom they could not be recovered. The
imminent danger which now threatened the city, pro¬
cured Valerius the honour of a third confulftiip ; and
with him was joined Horatius Pulvilius, who had en¬
joyed the dignity for a few months before in the inter¬
val betwixt the death of Lucretius and the expiration of
the firft confulate.
While the Romans were making the moft vigorous
preparations for defence, Porfena, attended by his fon
Arunx and the exiles, marched towards the city at the
head of a formidable army, which was quickly joined
by a confiderable body of Latins under Mamilius, the
fon-in-law of Tarquin. The confuls and the fenate
took all imaginable care to fupply the common people
with provifions, left famine ftiould induce them to open
the gates to Tarquin j and they defired the country
people to lodge their effeCts in the fort Janiculum,
which overlooked the city, and which was the only for¬
tified place pofieffed by the Romans on that fide the
Tiber. Porfena, however, foon drove the Romans out
of this fort ; upon which the confuls made all their
troops pafs the river, and drew them up in order of
battle to defend the bridge, while Porfena advanced to
engage them. The victory was a long time doubtful;
but at laft the Romans fled. Horatius Codes, nephew
to the conful, with Sp. Lartius and T. Herminius, who
had commanded the right wing, polled themfelves at
the entrance of the bridge, and for a long time bravely
defended it : but at laft, the defenfive arms of Lartius
and Herminius being broken, they retired ; and then
Horatius defiring them to advife the confuls from him
to cut the bridge at the other end, he for a while fu-
ftained the attack of the enemy alone. At laft, being
wounded in the thigh, and the fignal given that the
bridge w'as almoft broken down, he leaped into the river,
and fwam acrofs it through a Ihower of darts. The
Romans, in token of gratitude for this eminent fervice,
erefted a ftatue to him in the temple of Vulcan, gave
him as much land as he himfelf with one yoke of oxen
could plough in one day •, and each of the inhabitants,
to the number of 300,000, gave him the value of as
much food as each confumed in a day. But not with-
Handing all this, as he had loft one eye, and from his
wounds continued lame throughout the remainder of
his life, thefe defefts prevented his ever being raifed
to the confulate, or invefted with any military com¬
mand.
The city was not yet fully invefted 5 but as it was
very difficult to find provifions for fuch a multitude,
the inhabitants foon began to be in want. Porfena
being informed of their difficulties, told them that he
would fupply them with provifions if they would take
back their old mafters ; but to this they replied, that
hunger was a lefs evil than flavery and oppreffion. The
conftancy of the Romans, however, was on the point
o£ failing, when a young patrician, named Mutius Cor*
2 ] ROM
dus, with the confent of the fenate and confuls, under- Rome. .
took to aflaffinate Porfena. He got accefs to the He- v—^
trurian camp, difguifed like a peafant, and made his
way to the king’s tent. It happened to be the day on Attempt of
which the troops were all reviewed and paid ; and Por- MutiusCor-
fena’s fecretary, magnificently drefled, was fitting on(^ustO Hffaf-
the fame tribunal with the king. Mutius, miftaking *or*
him for Porfena, inftantly leaped upon the tribunal and
killed him. He then attempted to make his efcape \
but being feized and brought back, he owned his de-
fign ; and with a countenance expreffive of defpeiale
rage and difappointment, thruft his hand which had
miffed the blow into a pan of burning coals which flood
by, and there held it for a confiderable time. On this,
Porfena,* changing his refentment into admiration, grant¬
ed him his life and liberty, and even reftored him the
dagger with which he intended to have ftabbed him¬
felf. Mutius took it with his left hand, having loft the
ufe of the other ; and from this time had the name of
Scervo/a, or “ left-handed.” He then, in order to in¬
duce Porfena to break up the fiege, invented a ftory that
300 young Romans, all of them as refolute as himfelf,
had fworn to take away the life of the king of Hetruria,
or to perilh in the attempt. This had the defired ef¬
fect 5 Porfena fent deputies to Rome, whofe only de¬
mands were, that the Romans fliould reftore the eftates
of the Tarquins, or give them an equivalent, and give
back the feven fmall towns which had been formerly-
taken from the Veientes. The latter of thefe demands
was cheerfully complied with j but the former was ftill
refsfed, until Porfena ftiould hear the ftrong reafons they
had to urge againft it. A truce being agreed on, de¬
puties were fent to the Hetrurian camp to plead the
Roman caufe againft the Tarquins, and with them ten
young men, and as many virgins, by way of hoftages for
performing the other article.
The reception which Porfena gave the deputies raif¬
ed the jealoufy of the Tarquins; who ftill retaining
their ancient pride, refufed to admit Porfena for a judge
between them and the Romans. But the king, with¬
out any regard to their oppofition, refolved to fatisfy
himfelf, by an exa£t inquiry, whether the protection he
had given the Tarquins was juft. But while the caufe
was ready to be opened before the Roman deputies, news
were brought that the young women whom the Romans
had fent as hoftages had ventured to fwim acrofs the
72
Tiber, and were returned to Rome. They had gone to Adventure
bathe in the river, and Cltelia happening to turn her of Clselia.
eyes towards her native city, that fight raifed in her a
defire of returning to it. She therefore ventured to
fwim acrofs the river j and having encouraged her com¬
panions to follow her, they all. got fafe to the oppofite
ffiore, and returned to their fathers houfes. The return
of the hoftages gave the conful Poplicola great uneafi-
nefs ; he was afraid left this raffi aCtion might be imput¬
ed to want of fidelity in the Romans. To remove there¬
fore all fufpicions, he fent a deputation to the Hetrurian
camp, affuring the king that Rome had no ftiare in the
foolifti attempt of the young women 5 and promifing to
fend them immediately back to the camp from whence
they had fled. Porfena was eafily appeafed ; but the Treachery
news of the fpeedy return of the hoftages being known of the Tar-
in the camp, the Tarquins, without any regard to theffi'1115,
truce, or refpeft to the king their proteCtor, lay in am-
buffi on the road to furprife them. Poplicola having
'