Horatius Coclès is an opera in one act and nine scenes (styled an acte lyrique) by the French composer Étienne Nicolas Méhul with a libretto by Antoine-Vincent Arnault. It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 18 February 1794. It is based on the Roman legend of Horatius Cocles. Background and performance history Horatius Coclès was created during the Reign of Terror, at the height of the French Revolution, when all works of art were strongly encouraged to have a political purpose. According to Arnault in his memoirs, the piece was intended to curry favour with the revolutionary authorities and thus improve the chances with the censor of a far more important opera Méhul and Arnault were then working on, Mélidore et Phrosine. The revolutionaries viewed the early Roman Republic as one of the models for their new state. Arnault saw parallels between the Rome of Horatius, which had just expelled its kings, and Revolutionary France, fighting against the crowned heads of Europe. Arnault claimed that he and Méhul finished the opera in 17 days. The opera initially had 18 performances in 1794, featuring sumptuous scenery. Arnault wrote that the authorities deemed it sufficiently patriotic to ease the path of Mélidore et Phrosine to the stage. It was revived for a further 9 performances between November 1797 and January 1798. During one night in the second run, one of the chorus fell off the "Pons Sublicius", taking 50 other performers with him, resulting in multiple injuries to the singer playing the lead. When the work reappeared on 30 December, Napoleon was among the audience. Roles Synopsis Scene: a view of Rome, including the Pons Sublicius and the camp of Lars Porsenna A chorus of Romans mourns the death of Lucius Junius Brutus, who had led them to expel King Tarquin and found the republic. The city is now besieged by the Etruscan king Lars Porsenna, who wants to reinstall the Roman royal family, and the people are starving. Horatius takes a dagger and swears on the tomb to pursue the ruin of the kings and maintain the liberty of Rome. Mucius Scaevola enters dressed as an Etruscan and declares his intention to infiltrate the enemy camp and assassinate Porsenna, even at the cost of his own life. Horatius begs to be allowed to undertake the mission instead, since he is old, but Publicola tells him he is too famous