Staying at Your Post

From the 1834 novel The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton:

The air was now still for a few minutes: the lamp from the gate streamed out far and clear: the fugitives hurried on—they gained the gate—they passed by the Roman sentry; the lightning flashed over his livid face and polished helmet, but his stern features were composed even in their awe! He remained erect and motionless at his post. That hour itself had not animated the machine of the ruthless majesty of Rome into the reasoning and self-acting man. There he stood, amidst the crashing elements: he had not received the permission to desert his station and escape.

This passage was the inspiration for this painting. 

I admire this very much. I'm a little awestruck by it. That said, you can catch a whiff of the worst of what's described in All Quiet on the Western Front. So, I reserve judgment.  

(On the other hand, if it's not Mount Vesuvius or the Somme, you might just try staying at your post!)