HATING HORATIO

Ancient Rome's greatest historian was Titus Livius, known to us as Livy (59 BC-17 AD). In the Second Book of his monumental history of Rome, Ab Urbe Condita (From the Founding of the City), he tells the famous story of Horatio at the Bridge.

In 510 BC, Rome was threatened with destruction from an invading army of Etruscans. All Romans living in the countryside had abandoned their homes and fled for protection inside the city. The city walls were heavily garrisoned, but the most vulnerable point was a wooden bridge, the Pons Sublicius, across the river Tiber and into Rome.

When Etruscan forces focused their attack on the bridge, the Roman troops guarding it fled in fear - save for one man, a soldier named Horatius, whom we call Horatio.

"Proudly," says Livy, and all alone, "Horatius took his stand at the outer end of the bridge; conscious amongst the rout of fugitives, sword and shield ready for action, he prepared himself for close combat, one man against an army. The advancing enemy paused in sheer astonishment at such reckless courage."

Horatio bellowed to his fleeing comrades that they burn and chop down the bridge while he fought the Etruscans off. Livy continues:

With defiance in his eyes he confronted the Etruscan chivalry, challenging one after another to single combat, and mocking them all as tyrants' slaves who, careless of their own liberty, were coming to destroy the liberty of others. For a while they hung back, each waiting for his neighbor to make the first move, until shame at the unequal battle drove them to action, and with a fierce cry they hurled their spears at the solitary figure which barred their way. Horatius caught the missiles on his shield and, resolute as ever, straddled the bridge and held his ground.

When the bridge finally collapsed, Horatio fell into the Tiber and was able to swim to safety. The citizens of Rome bestowed upon him every possible honor.

This happened in Rome's youth. What if it had happened in Rome's prime, with its citizens so prosperous they were cynical and spoiled? What if they despised Horatio's solitary heroism, and their leaders and intellectual elite pined for Rome's defeat instead? What if the Roman people hated Horatio for his attempt to save them, rather than honoring him?

For that is the question I had watching the President's State of the Union speech last night. Listening to him, I thought of Horatio at the bridge.

Despite all else upon which we may disagree with him, what blindingly came through last night was that this is a noble man, a heroic man, standing alone against America's enemies and viciously ridiculed and reviled for it. Yet he stands there with graciousness and courtesy, as a gentleman.

He stood there alone and spoke eloquently to a Congress, to a nation, of spoiled brats.

The day of the speech (1/23), a Washington Post/ABC News poll announced that 52% of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of terrorism, when we have not suffered a single terrorist attack in the over five years since 9/11 - and that 57% disapprove of his handling of the economy.

That means that 57% of Americans are clinically deranged. On every measure - the stock markets, corporate profits, employment, inflation, spendable income, take your pick - the US economy is doing astoundingly well. How can people possibly disapprove? Yet they do. Because they are spoiled brats.

There's an old saw that says in a democracy, voters get the leaders they deserve. Bush disproves it - for in him, voters are getting better than they deserve. If they got what they deserved, they'd get Hillary Clinton, and may very well in 2008.

But like Ronald Reagan, Bush's faith in the goodness of Americans has never wavered. Today, I talked with Tony Snow, the president's spokesman, and he explained why:

The most important word the president used in his speech last night was victory. Unlike some members of Congress, those who sat on their hands at the mention of it, Americans want victory. So we are going to give it to them.

This is no time to feel desperate. What we need is a sense of mission, a purposeful dynamism. General Petraeus will be giving regular briefings from now on, and be issuing a progress report on Iraq every two weeks. He'll report on what progress we are having on de-Baathification, disarming the Shia militias, on taking the fight to the bad guys in a very methodical way.

To lose this war is to lose our soul. The soul of our country, the soul of America. If we lose in Iraq, the terrorists will be here, the war will be here and among us. But we are not going to lose. We still have an enormously strong hand to play and we are going to play it.

Conservatives need to understand that our best days are still in front of us, if we proceed with confidence and principle. Ours is an ideology of freedom, and an ideology of freedom is an ideology of joy. Joy and freedom will triumph over fear and cynicism.

Watching Bush last night and talking to Tony today inspired me to believe that this president just may drag Americans back into adulthood once again. A nation that hates its Horatios is already in grave danger of losing its soul. GW's determination to succeed in Iraq may enable our nation to regain it.

I very much appreciate you posting this. My morning is that much brighter because I was prevented from watching the speech. I had to endure the aftermath, however, and it has been disconcerting in the extreme to read and listen to people who cannot be better described than as vengeful spoiled brats who need nothing so much as a swift kick.

It always bears remembering: human society will ALWAYS degenerate into such a congeries of brats because success will ALWAYS breed complacency and lassitude. Humans simply don't work any other way.

What I hope and pray is that the coming lesson will be salutory, not desctructive. On the lessons of history I deeply fear that the latter is the more probable and I will fight to ensure it is the former. What I saw from the President's speech is that he is firmly determined in precisely the same direction with precisely the same apprehensions. That's just one of the reasons I cherish and venerate him as a great leader and a good and honorable man.

A Horatio at the Bridge, in God's name.

A Medal for Horatius
The True Story
(By Colonel W C Hall, printed in the British Army Journal January 1953.)

Rome, II Calends, April CCCLX
SUBJECT: Recommendation for Senate Medal of Honor
TO: Department of War, Republic of Rome
I. Recommend Caius Horatius, Captain of Foot, CMCMXIV, for the Senate Medal of Honor.
II. Captain Horatius has served XVI years, all honorable.
III. On the II day of March, during the attack on the city by Lars Porsena of Clausium and his Tuscan Army of CMX men, Captain Horatius, with Sergeant Sporius Laritus and Corporal Julius Herminius, held the entire Tuscan army at the far end of the bridge, until the structure could be destroyed, thereby saving the city.
IV. Captain Horatius did valiantly fight and kill one Major Picus of Clausium in individual combat.
V. The exemplary courage and the outstanding leadership of Captain Horatius are in the highest tradition of the Roman Army.
JULIUS ANTINOUS,
Commander, II Foot Legion

Ist, Ind, AG IV Calends, April CCCLX
TO: G-III
For comment.
G.C.

IInd Ind, G-III IX Calends, May CCC
TO: G-II
I. For comment and forwarding.
II. Change end of paragraph III from "saving the city" to "lessened the effectiveness of the enemy attack." The Roman Army was well dispersed tactically; the reserve has not been committed. The phrase as written might be construed to cast aspersions on our fine army.
III. Change paragraph V from "outstanding leadership" to read "commendable initiative." Captain Horatius's command was II men, only I/IV of a squad.
J.D.

IIId Ind, G-II II Ides, June CCCLX
TO: G-I
I. Omit strength of Tuscan forces in paragraph III. This information is classified.
II. A report evaluated as B-II states that the officer was a Captain Picus of Tifernum. Recommend change to "an officer of the enemy forces."
J.H.

IVth Ind, G-I IX Ides, January CCCLXI
TO: JAG
I. Full name is Caius Claudius Horatius.
II. Change service from XVI to XV years. One year in Romulus Chapter BPOE, has been given credit for military service in error.
E.J.

Vth Ind, JAG II, February CCCLXI
TO: AG
I. The Porsena raid was not during wartime; the temple of Janus was closed.
II. The action against the Porsena raid, ipso facto, was a police action.
III. The Senate Medal of Honor cannot be awarded in peacetime (AB/CVIII-XXV, paragraph XII, C).

IV. Suggest consideration for Soldier's Medal.
P.B.

VIth Ind, AF IV Calends, April CCCLXI
TO: G-I
Concur in paragraph IV, Vth Ind.
L.J.

VIIth Ind, G-I I May CCCLXI
TO: AG
Soldier's medal is given for saving lives; suggest star of bronze as appropriate.
E.J.

VIIIth Ind, JAG II Calends, June CCCLXI
TO: JAG
For opinion.
G.C.

IXth Ind, JAG II Calends, September CCCLXI
I. XVIII months have elapsed since event described in basic letter. Star of bronze cannot be awarded after XV months have elapsed.
II. Officer is eligible for Papyrus Scroll with Metal Pendant.
P.B.

X Ind, AG I Calends, October CCCLXI
TO: G-I
For draft of citation for Papyrus Scroll with Metal Pendant.
P.B.
XI Ind, G-I III Calends, October CCCLXI
TO: G-II
I. Do not concur.
II. Our currently fine relations with Tuscany would suffer and current delicate negotiations might be jeopardized if publicity were given to Captain Horatius' actions at this time.
T.J.

XII Ind, G-II VI November CCCLXI
TO: G-I
A report rated D-IV, partially verified, states that Lars Porsena is very sensitive about the Horatius affair.
E.T.

XIIIth Ind, G-I X November CCCLXI
TO: AG
I. In view of information contained in preceding XI and XIII the endorsements, you will prepare immediate orders of Captain C. C. Horatius to one of our overseas stations (remote).
II. His attention will be directed to paragraph XII, POM, which prohibits interviews or conversations with newsmen prior to arrival at final destination.
L.T.

Rome II Calends, I April CCCLXII
SUBJECT: Survey, Report of, Department of War
TO: Captain Caius Caius Horatius, III Legion, V Phalanx, APO XIX, C/O Postmaster, Rome.
I. Your statements concerning the loss of your shield and sword in the Tiber River on III March CCCLX have been carefully considered.
II. It is admitted that you were briefly in action against certain unfriendly elements on that day. However, Sergeant Lartius and Corporal Herminius were in the same action and did not lose any government property.
III. The Finance Officer has been directed to reduce your next pay by II-I/IV talents (I-III/IV talents cost one each sword, officers; III/IV talent cost of one each shield, M-II).
IV. You are enjoined and admonished to pay strict attention to conservation of government funds and property. The budget must be balanced next year.
H. MARCUS AURELIUS
Lieutenant of Horse
Survey Officer

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