ry ▁favour ▁with ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁authorities ▁and ▁thus ▁improve ▁the ▁ch ances ▁with ▁the ▁c ensor ▁of ▁a ▁far ▁more ▁important ▁opera ▁Mé h ul ▁and ▁Ar na ult ▁were ▁then ▁working ▁on , ▁M él id ore ▁et ▁Ph ros ine . ▁The ▁revolution aries ▁viewed ▁the ▁early ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁models ▁for ▁their ▁new ▁state . ▁Ar na ult ▁saw ▁par alle ls ▁between ▁the ▁Rome ▁of ▁Hor ati us , ▁which ▁had ▁just ▁exp elled ▁its ▁k ings , ▁and ▁Revolution ary ▁France , ▁fighting ▁against ▁the ▁crown ed ▁heads ▁of ▁Europe . ▁Ar na ult ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁Mé h ul ▁finished ▁the ▁opera ▁in ▁ 1 7 ▁days . ▁ ▁The ▁opera ▁initially ▁had ▁ 1 8 ▁performances ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 4 , ▁featuring ▁sum pt ious ▁scen ery . ▁Ar na ult ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁authorities ▁de emed ▁it ▁sufficiently ▁patri otic ▁to ▁ease ▁the ▁path ▁of ▁M él id ore ▁et ▁Ph ros ine ▁to ▁the ▁stage . ▁It ▁was ▁rev ived ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁ 9 ▁performances ▁between ▁November ▁ 1 7 9 7 ▁and ▁January ▁ 1 7 9 8 . ▁During ▁one ▁night ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁run , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ch orus ▁fell ▁off ▁the ▁" P ons ▁S ublic ius ", ▁taking ▁ 5 0 ▁other ▁perform ers ▁with ▁him , ▁resulting ▁in ▁multiple ▁inj uries ▁to ▁the ▁singer ▁playing ▁the ▁lead . ▁When ▁the ▁work ▁re app eared ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁December