Livy Page 3

cum hostes adessent, pro se quisque in urbem ex agris demigrant;

When the enemy was present, with the same mind, moved into the city from the fields;

urbem ipsam saepiunt praesidiis.

they surrounded that city with guards.

alia muris, alia Tiberi obiecto videbantur tuta:

some parts seemed safer by their walls, other parts lying around of the River Tiber:

pons sublicius iter paene hostibus dedit, ni unus vir fuisset, Horatius Cocles;

the pile bridge almost gave a way for the enemies, had it not been for one man, Horatius Cocles.

id munimentum illo die fortuna urbis Romanae habuit.

the fate of the Roman city thought of him as protection on that day.

qui positus forte in statione pontis cum captum repentio impetu Ianiculum atque inde citatos decurrere hostes vidisset trepidamque turbam suorum arma ordinesque relinquere, reprehensans singulos, obsistens obtestansque deum et hominem fidem testabatur nequiquam deserto praesidio eos fugere; si transitum ponte a tergo reliquissent, iam plus hostium in Palatio Capitolioque quam in Iaculo fore.

he having been placed on the strong station of the bridge, had seen the faniculum, captured by a sudden attack and the enemies incited to run down from there, and the terrified crowd [incited] to leave their weapons and ranks, seizing each one at a time, blocking their way and imploring the faith of the gods and men, he testified that they, with their posts having been deserted, fled in vain, if they had crossed and left that bridge from behind, there would now be more enemies on the Palatine and Capitoline than the faniculum.

itaque monere, praedicere ut pontem ferro, igni, quacumque vi possint, interrumpant:

And so, he warned and told them to break down the bridge with iron, fists, fire, and whatever force they could:

se impetum hostium, quantum corpore uno posset obsisti, excepturum.

as far as resistance could be offered by one person, so far he would receive the attack of the enemy.