Brown 1

Faith Brown

HIS 111-83

22 April 2016

Marcus Junius Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus is a name most people know strictly because he participated

in assassination of the great Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. However, no one really ever

digs deeper into Brutuss life to study where he came from, why he helped with the plot

to kill Caesar, and why he cared so much about the Republic.

Why did Brutus care so strongly about the Republic that he was willing to murder

to save it? The Republic was supposed to make all the classes in Rome equal, but in

reality the wealthiest families intermarried and the aristocracy kept hold of the senate

house majority. Thus the republic did not treat the poorer families well and this caused

unrest amongst them. Brutus held high position in the political ranks, so he benefited

greatly.1

Marcuss family background could have foreshadowed his terrorist act. Brutus was born

in Rome, 85 B.C. He is said to be the descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus although there

is some controversy over if this is true or not. Lucius Brutus lived with the royal family,

Tarquin, because his father and older brother were murdered and thus the Brutuss estate

and Lucius himself were under the guardianship of the royal family. Lucius Brutus acted

dumb to make sure he was not threatening because he knew survival in this royal family

was difficult. As time went on, Lucius was given the title, second in command, and then

1 The Volume Library: A Modern, Authoritative Reference for Home and

School Use ; Clear and Complete, Colorfully Illustrated, Totally Indexed.
(Southwestern Nashville, TN)
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an event happened making Lucius Brutus vow to bring downfall to the Tarquins. The

youngest Tarquin met the wife of a cousin to the royal family, named Lucretia. This

young man was so very impressed by Lucretias beauty and humility that he came back

and he raped her. Lucretia was so ashamed she killed herself. In the commotion and grief

of all the people it was ironically Lucius Brutus who took the knife out of Lucretias back

and vowed By this blood, so innocent until a prince befouled it, I swear before the gods,

that I will hunt down Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, his accursed wife, and all his children

with sword, fire, yes, using as much force as it takes; and I will not permit them nor

anyone else to be kings in Rome! Lucius Brutus did just that, he overthrew the

Tarquins, created the Republic, and became the first consul of Rome. However, he died

during a fight for libertas, which means freedom, only a year after founding the Republic.

Once again, it is circulating that this all was only a myth. Marcus Brutus, himself was

aware that his so-called descendants might be just a myth, but he still let them influence

him to do great things in Rome.2

Five hundred years later, Marcus Brutus grew up in family well associated with politics

and the Roman government. His father died when he was young and he lived with

another family. His mother remarried and out of this marriage came three daughters.

Brutuss mother, Servilia, was very well connected in the political aspect, especially

during her sons fame in Rome. Supposedly, Servilia was madly in love with Julius

Caesar, the same Julius Caesar that her son helps assassinate later on. It is rumored that

Servilia produced the daughter of Julius Caesar.3

2 Philip Matyszak & Joanna Berry, Lives Of The Romans, 2008 (New
York: Thames & Hudson, 2008) p. 25-29

3 Kristy Corrigan, Brutus: Caesars Assassin, 2015 (South Yorkshire, Pen

& Sword Books LTD, 2015)
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Very little is known about Marcuss personal life but he did have two wives. His first

wife, Claudia, he married sometime between 54 and 51 B.C. Politically it was a perfect

match but after a few years of marriage Brutus divorced her for reasons which are

unknown. His second wifes name was Porcia. Although Brutuss mother did not approve

of this woman, there was a more sincere love between Brutus and Porcia rather than

marriage for political reasons. Porcia was faithful and loyal throughout their marriage and

she supported Brutus in his assassination plot to kill Julius Caesar.4

Brutus was very well educated; he was especially interested in philosophy and like all

young Roman youths he was sent to Greece to continue his education. He then went to

Athens to pursue his studies. He fell off from records until 59 B.C. when he is back in

Rome and into the heat of local widespread events of the time.5

In Rome during Brutuss early life there was a military leader named Gnaeus Pompeius

Magnus whose name later changed to Pompey the Great. He showed great strategy in

battle and the senate gave him great amounts of power. Pompey the Great was still in the

best part of his reign, after Brutus returned to Rome, in 59 B.C. and there was said to be

incredulous situation that Brutus was said to have his hands in. He supposedly had helped

create a plot to murder Pompey the Great. Although, this story was eventually called

untrue, it was never fully proved false. 6

Brutuss first official position came around about 54 B.C. He became one of three

moneyers who was in charge of the Roman mint. Brutus used his position to start

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climbing to the top of the political ladder. Over time, he gathered a good reputation in the

Roman courts and he became acquaintances with none other than Julius Caesar, boosting

his career like nothing else before.7

Julius Caesar fought a series of battles against Gaul. The Gauls were great

fighters, but Caesarss army was better and they came out victorious. Because of these

acts, Caesar was able to gain great favor with Rome and its inhabitants. Thus he was

crowned Emperor.8

This is where the most famous part of his life and Brutuss life come in. Julius Caesar did

not always get along with the optimates, which were the majority group in the Roman

senate. So, to them, he kept making mistakes, Caesar was still in good favor with the

people of Rome, though. Caesar was making decisions that the citizens approved of and

all this fame was supposedly starting to go to his head and instead of just being emperor,

it is said that he wanted the title of king, even though the Romans had not had a king

for five hundred years and they had no intention of ever having another one. One day a

close friend of Caesars called him king in public and Caesar responded with I am not

king, but only Caesar. Even with this statement, people in high positions still believed he

wanted to be king, creating the beginning of the end of Caesar.9

If Caesar became king, that would destroy the Republic and many people, including

Brutus, were extremely strong supporters of the Republic. Brutus had no personal hatred

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8 John H. Haaren & A.B Poland, Famous Men of Rome, 2001

(Tennessee: Greenleaf Books, 2015)

9 Kristy Corrigan, Brutus: Caesars Assassin, 2015 (South Yorkshire, Pen

& Sword Books LTD, 2015)
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towards Caesar, he did it all for his state and his philosophical beliefs. He was taught that

tyranny was a form of slavery and with Caesar heading that way, he had no choice but to

plot the assassination.10

He teamed up with a lot of people; one person in particular, was Cassius. Cassius,

along with Brutus, was a man who was blessed by Caesar with a high political position,

but they still wanted to defend their country. They planned the assassination down to the

most minuscule details. They were very careful about who they asked to help with this

task and they did such a good job that no one ever saw it coming. The conspirators

carefully planned the time and place. They chose the Ides of March, during a senate

meeting, the day that Caesar was actually supposed to receive the title of king. The place

that the senate was meeting was a temporary location because eight years prior the actual

building had burned down in a riot. With the date and place set all that was left to follow

through with the act.11

There is talk about omens that happened all around, from a sacrifice gone wrong; to

nightmares Caesars wife experienced the night before the assassination. In fact, up until

his wife had those dreams, Caesar had paid no heed to the omens. His wifes nightmares

had supposedly depicted her holding her husbands bloody body, or saw their home in

ruins, or she had seen an ornament dedicated to Caesars reign torn down. It is not certain

which of these dreams she had, but whichever one she did, the encounter left her

extremely upset. She told Caesar her dreams and she pleaded with him, asking him not to

go out. He was so shocked by her fretful actions; because she was usually calm, that he

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was going to cancel the meeting, but have no fear, the conspirators are here to save, or

ruin, the day. A close friend of Caesars, whose name also happened to be named Brutus,

Decimus Brutus, but not to be confused with Marcus Brutus, went to Caesars house and

convinced him to continue with the senate meeting. It worked, or this would be a

completely different story. Although more warnings happened as Julius Caesar was

making his way to the senate house on this fateful day, nothing could stop the plan in

motion.12

It is said that the conspirators started to lose their nerve with all the warnings

going around and spreading to Caesar. Even Brutuss wife used to be all for the plot, was

stir crazy. So much so that she actually ended up passing out. A messenger went to Brutus

and told him that his wife was dead, because they mistook her fainting for death. Brutus

did not let this event hinder his vital mission to save the Republic.13

Caesar walked into the senate meeting, sat down, the assassins took their seats around

Caesar, and then a group of people came up to him with petitions. One man, Tillius

Cimber, started the assassination by going up and asking for the allowed return of his

brother who was exiled. Everyone started gathering around him and were begging him to

do it. Caesar tried to put it off for another time, but was unable because the men were

holding him down. Then Tillius gave the signal and the men commenced the killing. One

man gave the first wound, which was not fatal, then Caesar started fighting them off.

Every one of the conspirators landed a blow on Caesar, to be equal in involvement.

Although in the process of stabbing Caesar, some of the men were stabbed, by their co-

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conspirators knives. It is said that Caesar fought bravely until he received the worst

wound of all. A stab in the heart, not physically, but emotionally, when he saw Brutus in

the group of assassins, he was crushed and that is when he is said to have given up.

Brutus and his allies thought had saved the Republic. They thought wrong. The Republic

was already dead. Rome was an empire now and the only thing that made them a republic

was the fact that the Romans called it a republic, nothing else. Killing Caesar just sped up

the process.14

Brutus will go forever down in history as a villain; because he killed a great

emperor, but he was only defended what he thought was worth fighting for. In the end it

was all in vain, because the Republic was already dying and killing Caesar only helped

its demise.

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