To Be A Hero of Rome

During the time of the republic BC

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus Pay attention to what is in his hands

Cincinnatus Cincinnatus had been a consul of Rome, but he had retired to his farm. In 458 BC, the Romans were fighting the Aequi and the Sabines. The Roman army became trapped. The Roman Senate decided to elect a DICTATOR to save them. The Senate chose Cincinnatus. The Romans hated the idea of a king, but they realized that sometimes, in times of emergency, it was better for the state to be led by one strong man. And so, a dictator could be elected to serve for six months.

Cincinnatus Several senators went to inform Cincinnatus that he was now the dictator of Rome. The Roman historian Livy wrote that the Cincinnatus was plowing on his farm. When he saw the senators, he went to put on his toga so that he could hear their news.

Cincinnatus Cincinnatus raised an army. With that army, he rescued the trapped Roman army. It took 16 days. The fasces are a bundle of rods that are tied with an axe. It was a symbol of power.

Cincinnatus Cincinnatus had 5 ½ more months to be dictator. But he had accomplished what needed to be accomplished, so he resigned the dictatorship. Very few people are willing to give up power, so many marvel at willingness of Cincinnatus to do so. George Washington is called the American Cincinnatus. He holds the fasces in one hand, and the plow in the other.

Publius Horatius Cocles

Horatius Lars Porsenna, the king of Clusium, was attacking Rome. He had captured much on the west side of the Tiber, and now he was ready to cross into Rome itself on the Pons Sublicius. The Pons Sublicius

Horatius Horatius was stationed at the bridge. He held off the Etruscans while his fellow Romans cut the bridge down behind him. Some say that two other Romans joined him. As the bridge fell, Horatius jumped into the Tiber and swam safely to shore. The Etruscans couldn’t cross into Rome, so they went home!

Gaius Mucius Scaevola

Scaevola Lars Porsenna was attacking Rome (again). Scaevola slipped into the Etruscan camp, because he wanted to murder Porsena. A nicely-dressed man stepped out of a tent. Scaevola assumed that someone dressed so fancy was the king, and he killed him. Eheu! It wasn’t the king. Scaevola was captured and brought before Porsenna.

Scaevola He claimed that there were 300 other Roman youths ready to assassinate Porsena if he failed. (He lied!) To show Porsenna how brave (and crazy) he was, he stuck his right hand in the fire and held it there.

Scaevola Porsenna freaked out. What if there were 300 more Romans this crazy? So he sent Scaevola away, and he went home. By the way, it was only then that Scaevola got his nickname, “Scaevola” – Lefty!

Cloelia

The Clusian king, Lars Porsenna, and the Romans made a treaty. As a part of the treaty, Porsenna took hostages. Cloelia was one of the hostages. She escaped the Clusian camp, along with several other Roman girls. They swam across the Tiber to Rome. But the Romans sent her back, because that was part of the treaty’s terms. Porsenna thought Cloelia was so cool and brave that he allowed her to go free with some companion. She picked the Roman boys, so that they could join the fight against Porsenna.