Publius Horātius Coclēs

Coclēs, Publius Horātius, the legendary Roman hero Horatius, the subject of the best known of the Lays of Ancient Rome (1842) by Thomas Macaulay. With two companions, Sp. Larcius and T. Herminius, Horatius held at bay the whole Etruscan army under Lars Porsen (n)a while the wooden Sublician bridge over the Tiber into Rome was being cut down behind them. At the moment of its collapse he sent back his two companions and held the position single-handed, finally jumping into the river and swimming back to the city.