Marcus Cassius Scaeva

Marcus Cassius Scaeva is probably the toughest Roman ever. He was a decorated centurion in Caesar’s army, who in his spare time, put his life at risk training with professional gladiators. During the Battle of Dyrrhachium, fought between Julius Caesar and the army led by Gnaeus Pompey, with the backing of the majority of the Roman Senate, Scaeva was fighting in the front ranks as usual when he was shot in the eye.

The injury was severe, and would leave him permanently blind. Yet, despite having a pretty bad case of arrow-shot-through-the-eye syndrome, Marcus yelled a battle-cry, removed the arrow, and kept on fighting and killing even more intensely. During the same battle, he was struck by two more arrows (sources differ, but it is believed that one pierced his throat and the other his knee), while hundreds of arrows bristled from his shield. Marcus managed even under these conditions to hold the line and keep fighting.