Roman History - Lone Horseman Charge?

[Zixor]

I remember listening to a Roman history podcast that mentioned a Roman warrior on horseback who put on a robe and charged into the enemy ranks alone. Supposedly he frightened the enemy and inspired his own troops. Can anyone recall the name of this warrior?

[Megas Methuselah]

I remember reading about this a long time ago. It takes place in early Roman history, which is mangled with both myths and facts, so it may not even be real. Anyways, I can't remember the name, but it was an old family tradition. A guy did it once and died, encouraging his troops to go on and win the battle. His son did the same in a later war. And, I think it was the grandson who did this in the Gallic invasion, but his death didn't prevent the Romans from losing the battle.


EDIT: I found it after a quick google search. Going a by a custom called "devotio," a Roman would dedicate himself to the Gods of the underworld and ride to the thickest part of the battle on horseback and, essentially, die. This would ensure the wrath of the gods upon the enemy, who would then be doomed to defeat in the battle. The famous plebean family that went by this tradition was that of Publius Decius Mus, whose son and grandson would follow his example of devotio and deliberately die in battle. It turns out his grandson supposedly performed this ritual against Pyrrhus' Epirotes and not the Gauls, which didn't work out in Roman favour.

[moonburn]

megas he didn´t and the tradition was to charge head long against the enemie and die so the romans could win and phyrrus instructed all of his man to not kill him if that happened and warned mus that he would be captured and not killed thus breaking the tradition ( phyrrus was particulary worried because his men where very superticious)

[Rahwana]

I'mjust amazed how to capture decius if he charge headlong into sarrisa formation... maybe he use some kind of net or.... order his troops to capture by hand?

BTW I also remember an account of lone eagle bearer step forward and made all his comades step onward and give the Romans victory... it looks like morale was a big value in the Roman army....

[antisocialmunky]

There are less suicidal versions as well...

Caesar was described charging into the battle with his bodyguard to rally his troops on at least two occasions with a red cape, once at Alesia and once somewhere in Spain(?)

I'm a little fuzzy on the details. Someone correct me if I'm mistaken.

[Antonivs Silvicola]

Caesar's charge in Spain was at Munda. Supposedly his shield was riddled with pila and he survived(sounds like propaganda to me) thus his forces were encouraged and won the day. Also, don't forget about the story of Horatius from Romes early history whom, with two other men held off an entire army while the romans destroyed a bridge across the Tiber. The other two men crossed back just as the bridge collapsed leaving Horatius alone. He then managed to swim the Tiber in full armour and the enemy turned back. PRobably more myth than truth but meh. You can read the entire poem; Horatius by Thomas Babington Macaulay.

[antisocialmunky]

That's pretty Chuck Norris right there.

[Owen Glyndwr]

Are you thinking possibly of Horatius?

Figure from early Republican army: Etruscan army marching on Rome, Horatio marches out alone and stands on the bridge leading over the Tiber, where he single-handedly holds off the entire Etruscan invasion force while his friends cut the bridge down. Some stories have him drown, others have him swim over to the other side.

Wikipedia's page on him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatius_Cocles

Only problem: he didn't ride a horse, so I dunno if you might be getting your stories mixed up, but that's the one that first popped into my mind when you mentioned single-handedly.

[Uticensis]

The devotio thing is pretty interesting- never heard of that before. What intrigues me about it is that it reminds me of a source I recently read (Leo the Deacon) about a Medieval Roman army (i.e. Byzantine) which was fighting off the Rus (Early Russians/Vikings) One of the emperor's bodyguards saw the Russian leader and charged alone straight into the Russian "phalanx." Not surprisingly he was killed (though he took a bunch of guys out with him), but it inspired the Romans who went on to win the battle. I wonder if this was a survival of sorts of that tradition (or maybe its just a case of a soldier who was slightly nuts).

[satalexton]

It's always the nutters who do die doing nutty things that get labeled as heros in the annals of history....inspiring more nutting nutters to do the same nutty thing.

[antisocialmunky]

The devotio thing is pretty interesting- never heard of that before. What intrigues me about it is that it reminds me of a source I recently read (Leo the Deacon) about a Medieval Roman army (i.e. Byzantine) which was fighting off the Rus (Early Russians/Vikings) One of the emperor's bodyguards saw the Russian leader and charged alone straight into the Russian "phalanx." Not surprisingly he was killed (though he took a bunch of guys out with him), but it inspired the Romans who went on to win the battle. I wonder if this was a survival of sorts of that tradition (or maybe its just a case of a soldier who was slightly nuts).

Well you see it in movies where the NCO will run into battle and the rest of the guys have to go with him. Now whether or not it occurs in real life or is told in story, its something fundamental to the way male group dynamics works where humans and even intelligent animals in patriarchical positions will lead by example where there is an implied expectation than that individual's model of behavior is how you should behave. Though I don't doubt there are a multitude of other possible answers such as peer pressure and a value-cost trade off or something.

[Uticensis]

Well you see it in movies where the NCO will run into battle and the rest of the guys have to go with him. Now whether or not it occurs in real life or is told in story, its something fundamental to the way male group dynamics works where humans and even intelligent animals in patriarchical positions will lead by example where there is an implied expectation than that individual's model of behavior is how you should behave. Though I don't doubt there are a multitude of other possible answers such as peer pressure and a value-cost trade off or something.

All that granted. Which is why I find it interesting when, instead of all the guys running into battle with him, they just kind of watch as he gets hacked to pieces by the enemy.

I think this is less of a case of leading men to battle than of suicidal heroism meant to inspire men to bravery. Or maybe its really brave individuals just showing off (after having a bit too much wine). Or perhaps its just from misunderstood orders (like the charge of the light brigade in the 19th century), that gets reinterpreted as the guy who misunderstood the orders being really brave. I don't know what inspires acts of suicidal bravery, like a lone horseman charge, and that's what makes it interesting.

[Megas Methuselah]

All that granted. Which is why I find it interesting when, instead of all the guys running into battle with him, they just kind of watch as he gets hacked to pieces by the enemy.

Eh. It's hard to judge/understand, as our society's values and beliefs are so radically different from the ancient ones. The same concept applies to the ancient Greek homosexuality, a practice that wasn't frowned upon as it is in today's western society.

[Reno Melitensis]

I remember listening to a Roman history podcast that mentioned a Roman warrior on horseback who put on a robe and charged into the enemy ranks alone. Supposedly he frightened the enemy and inspired his own troops. Can anyone recall the name of this warrior?

That man was not only a hero to the Romans, he was going to sacrifice him self to the gods of the underworld, his soul and those of the enemies where the prize so the gods would grant the Romans victory. It was called a Devotio, the men father and son of the same name, Decius Mus. The father devoted himself at the Battle of Sentium, the son at the Battle Of Asculum.

Cheers.

[antisocialmunky]

I think this is less of a case of leading men to battle than of suicidal heroism meant to inspire men to bravery. Or maybe its really brave individuals just showing off (after having a bit too much wine). Or perhaps its just from misunderstood orders (like the charge of the light brigade in the 19th century), that gets reinterpreted as the guy who misunderstood the orders being really brave. I don't know what inspires acts of suicidal bravery, like a lone horseman charge, and that's what makes it interesting.

Okay, I see.

Well, that in it of itself is a type of leading by example that I was alluding to. However, I just reread Methuselah's description. Perhaps it was some sort of honor thing. Romans did have somewhat of a small tradition of ritualistic suicide or sacrificing a few as an assignment of blame...

[Atilius]

The original poster is no doubt referring to Publius Decius Mus, father and son, who devoted their lives and the armies of their enemies to the gods. These incidents are favorites of mine; I'd have posted on them earlier, but haven't had the time to devote (heh) to doing it properly until this evening.

The elder Decius was consul during the Latin War in 340 BC, serving as the colleague of the great Titus Manlius Torquatus. The two consuls engaged a Latin-Campanian army near the river Veseris. Decius, in command of the left wing of the Roman army, saw that his hastati had fallen back and decided divine help was needed to ensure victory (Livy 8.9):

...Decius the consul called out to Marcus Valerius in a loud voice: “we have need of Heaven's help, Marcus Valerius. Come therefore, state pontiff of the Roman People, dictate the words, that I may devote myself to save the legions.” The pontiff bade him don the purple bordered toga, and with veiled head and one hand thrust out from the toga and touching his chin, stand upon a spear that was laid under his feet, and say as follows: “Janus, Jupiter, Father Mars, Quirinus, Bellona, Lares, divine Novensiles, divine Indigites, ye gods in whose power are both we and our enemies, and you, divine Manes, I invoke and worship you, I beseech and crave your favour, that you prosper the might and the victory of the Roman People of the Quirites, and visit the foes of the Roman People of the Quirites with fear, shuddering, and death. As I have pronounced the words, even so in behalf of the republic of the Roman People of the Quirites, and of the army, the legions, the auxiliaries of the Roman People of the Quirites, do I devote the legions and auxiliaries of the enemy, together with myself, to the divine Manes and to Earth.” Having uttered this prayer he bade the lictors go to Titus Manlius and lose no time in announcing to his colleague that he had devoted himself for the good of the army. He then girded himself with the Gabinian cincture, and vaulting, armed, upon his horse, plunged into the thick of the enemy, a conspicuous object from either army and of an aspect more august than a man's, as though sent from heaven to expiate all anger of the gods, and to turn aside destruction from his people and bring it on their adversaries. Thus every terror and dread attended him, and throwing the Latin front into disarray, spread afterwards throughout their entire host. This was most clearly seen in that, wherever he rode, men cowered as though blasted by some baleful star; but when he fell beneath a rain of missiles, from that instant there was no more doubt of the consternation of the Latin cohorts, which everywhere abandoned the field in flight.

The devotio of the second Pubius Decius Mus took place at the battle of Sentinum in 295 BC. This Decius was serving his fourth consulship as the colleague of Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus. The Romans faced a combined army of Gauls and Samnites, with Decius in command of the Roman left, opposite the Gauls. He ordered a cavalry attack which forced the Gallic horse to retreat, but then strayed into contact enemy infantry and chariots, which threw the Roman cavalry into panic and retreat. The panic spread to his infantry and the Roman left wing began to fall back. Decius, unable to stem the rout (Livy 10.28):

...cried aloud on the name of his father Publius Decius. “why,” he asked, “do I seek any longer to postpone the doom of our house? It is the privilege of our family that we should be sacrificed to avert the nation's perils. Now will I offer up the legions of the enemy, to be slain with myself as victims to Earth and the Manes.”

On going down into the field of battle he had ordered Marcus Livius the pontifex not to leave his side. He now commanded this man to recite before him the words with which he proposed to devote himself and the enemy's legions in behalf of the army of the Roman People, the Quirites. He was then devoted with the same form of prayer and in the same habit his father, Publius Decius, had commanded to be used, when he was devoted at the Veseris, in the Latin war; and having added to the usual prayers that he was driving before him fear and panic, blood and carnage, and the wrath of gods celestial and gods infernal, and should blight with a curse the standards, weapons and armour of the enemy, and that one and the same place should witness his own destruction and that of the Gauls and Samnites, having uttered, I say, these imprecations upon himself and the enemy, he spurred his charger against the Gallic lines, where he saw that they were thickest, and hurling himself against the weapons of the enemy met his death.

The son of the second Decius commanded at Ausculum in 279 BC with his colleague Publius Sulpicius Saverrio. The fate of the third Publius Decius Mus isn't mentioned by Dionysios of Halikarnasos or Plutarch, and the book of Livy which dealt with Ausculum has not survived. However, the periochae (or epitome) of Livy explicitly mentions the devotio at Veseris and at Sentinum, but does not tell of a devotio at Ausculum. Tales of this sort were favorites of Livy, combining piety and patriotic self-sacrifice, so if the Decius of Ausculum had devoted himself, the periochae would certainly have mentioned it, as it did for his father and grandfather.

[Antonivs Silvicola]

@Owen- Yes, same Horatius. I was aware he was not on horseback but holding a bridge singlehandedly seemed along the same vein to me. Its a good story anyway.

[Owen Glyndwr]

@Owen- Yes, same Horatius. I was aware he was not on horseback but holding a bridge singlehandedly seemed along the same vein to me. Its a good story anyway.

Right on! I'm quite fond of that story as well. I await an adaptation from Hollywood in the style of 300with eager anticipation

[antisocialmunky]

That legend reminds me of the legend of Makara Naotaka at the battle of Anegawa. He with the help of his son covered the retreat of the army of the Asakura clan after the defeat by Nobunaga. He held his ground at a shallow river crossing allegedly using a large No Dachi sword one handed to buy time for the retreat before getting overwhelmed.

The 'single warrior holding the bridge' is actually fairly wide spread though not always with the horse. Another famous one I recall is the Battle of Stamford Bridge where that single huscarl held the English Army back with a massive Dane Axe.