Horatius Cocles on the Sublician Bridge - SOLD

Horatius Cocles on the Sublician Bridge is a legendary episode present in one of the 142 books Ab Urbe condita written in the 1st century BC by Titus Livius, a Latin historian, who narrates the history of Rome from its foundation. The story goes that the fearless Horatius Cocles (from the Latin cocles meaning 'one-eyed') repelled Porsenna, king of the Etruscans, preventing enemy troops from crossing the Tiber River by passing over the Sublician Bridge; its destruction prevented the enemy's invasion, making Horatius the legendary hero who saved the destiny of Rome. The magnificent painting is an autograph work by the Genoese painter Giovanni Battista Paggi, who, by signing and dating the canvas in 1590, further ensured its authenticity.