Mucius, or Caius Mucius Scaevola, is a young hero from the early Roman Republic<hr>
period. During the siege of Rome by Porsenna's men, he infiltrates their camp<hr>
to assassinate him. Mucius kills a lavishly dressed noble, mistaking him for the king, and is arrested and brought before Porsenna. In this interview, he burns his hand while staring fixedly at<br>
Porsenna and says to him: "Behold, behold how little the physical body matters to those<br>
whose only aim is Glory." He then tells Porsenna that there are three hundred more men like<hr>
him ready to kill him in Rome. Porsenna, impressed, releases Mucius, lays down his arms, and<hr>
sends ambassadors to Rome.<hr>
        Horatius Cocles is a legendary Roman hero. He is famous for his defense<hr>
against the Etruscans at the Sublicius bridge, Rome's main access point. After singlehandedly<hr>
defending the bridge while his comrades sabotage it, he orders them to destroy it while he is still<br>
on it. He throws himself, fully armed, into the Tiber and swims back to his companions.<hr>
        Brutus, Lucius Junius Brutus, or Lucius Iunius Brutus, is the legendary founder of the<hr>
Roman Republic and one of the first two Roman consuls in 509 BC. He<hr>
executed his two sons following a plot against him.<hr>
<hr>
<hr>
                    Eighteenth speech - Octavia to Octavius<hr>
                           Octavia, wife of Mark Antony<hr>
<hr>
<hr>
                                               Context<hr>
       As tensions between Octavius and Mark Antony heightened, and Octavius<hr>
prepared to return to war, he tried to force his sister Octavia to leave her husband, who was treating her poorly. However, Octavia, a virtuous woman who disapproved of this advice, strongly opposed it and conveyed her sentiments to her honorable and dear brother, roughly in these words:<hr>
<hr>
<hr>
                                          Octavia to Octavius<hr>
      Please, do not ask me to leave Antony’s house and don't put me in the<hr>
situation where I should disobey you. My honor, to which I am attached, forbids me from<hr>
committing either of these errors. I know that it's your friendship for me that makes you advise me this way. It's true that Antony turns his heart and affection toward Cleopatra, but is it fitting that if this queen's love leads Antony to commit one mistake, Octavia's jealousy should provoke you to make another? No, that wouldn't be right.<hr>
Consider the public interest, not just mine, and think once more that it would be just as shameful for Octavius and Antony to wage war and ruin the Empire for the love of one woman and jealousy of another.<hr>
<hr>
                                                    136<hr>