Horatius at the Bridge
In 508 BCE, one man held the Etruscan army at a bridge long enough for Rome to destroy it. His name was Publius Horatius Cocles. He survived, which surprised everyone including him.
Roman Republic
Concordia: Roman Goddess of Harmony and Civil Unity
Every time Rome nearly tore itself apart — class wars, civil wars, dynastic murders — it built a temple to Concordia. The goddess of harmony was most needed when harmony had already failed.