, ▁the ▁bridge ▁across ▁the ▁River ▁T iber , ▁while ▁Public ola ▁leads ▁the ▁main ▁Roman ▁army ▁against ▁the ▁enemy . ▁An ▁en voy ▁arriv es ▁from ▁P ors en na , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁Roman ▁capt ives , ▁including ▁Hor ati us ' ▁son , ▁young ▁Hor ati us , ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁believed ▁dead . ▁The ▁en voy ▁offers ▁to ▁hand ▁over ▁the ▁capt ives ▁if ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁will ▁accept ▁their ▁k ings ▁back . ▁Hor ati us , ▁his ▁son ▁and ▁the ▁assemble d ▁Rom ans ▁flat ly ▁refuse ▁this ▁offer . ▁The ▁E tr usc ans ▁attack ▁and ▁Hor ati us ▁def ends ▁the ▁bridge ▁single - hand edly ▁while ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁ch op ▁through ▁it ▁behind ▁him . ▁The ▁bridge ▁col laps es ▁and ▁Hor ati us ▁and ▁the ▁E tr usc ans ▁pl unge ▁into ▁the ▁T iber , ▁but ▁Hor ati us ▁surv ives . ▁Mu cius ▁S ca e vol a ▁returns ▁and ▁tells ▁how ▁he ▁had ▁managed ▁to ▁gain ▁access ▁to ▁P ors en na ' s ▁camp , ▁but ▁instead ▁of ▁killing ▁P ors en na ▁he ▁had ▁struck ▁down ▁a ▁court ier ▁who ▁had ▁ins ult ed ▁Rome . ▁He ▁told ▁P ors en na ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁ 3 0 0 ▁Rom ans ▁who ▁had ▁v owed ▁to ▁kill ▁him . ▁Mu cius ▁had ▁thrust ▁his ▁hand ▁into ▁the ▁fire ▁to ▁pun ish ▁it ▁for ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁his ▁mission . ▁P ors en na ▁had ▁been ▁so