Publius Horatius Cocles, an army officer of the Roman Republic, together with two companions, Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius, defends the Tiber bridge (the Pons Sublicius) against the Etruscan enemy. He finally fights singlehandedly and swims to safety when (following his orders) the bridge is destroyed. The story was later famously retold in a narrative poem by Lord Macaulay.