Marcus Junius Brutus

Lore & Background

Brutus belonged to the illustrious plebeian gens Junia, whose semi-legendary founder was Lucius Junius Brutus, who played a pivotal role during the overthrow of Tarquinius Superbus, the last Roman king, and was afterward one of the two first consuls of the new Roman Republic in 509 BC. Brutus was born late in 85 BC. His homonymous father was tribune of the plebs in 83 BC, but was targeted by Sulla during his proscription and later killed by Pompey in 77. He had married Servilia, who was the half-sister of Cato the Younger and later Julius Caesar's mistress. Some ancient sources refer to the possibility of Caesar being Brutus' real father, despite Caesar being only fifteen years old when Brutus was born; ancient historians were sceptical, and the theory is largely rejected by modern scholars as chronologically improbable. As a result of his father's proscription, Brutus could not start a political career until around 59, when this restriction was lifted by his posthumous adoption by Quintus Servilius Caepio. In 59, Brutus was implicated by Lucius Vettius in the Vettius affair as a member of a conspiracy plotting to assassinate Pompey in the forum, but Vettius quickly changed his story and dropped Brutus' name. Brutus' first appearance in public life was as an assistant to Cato when the latter was appointed governor of Cyprus in 58; according to Plutarch, Brutus was instrumental in assisting the administration of the province, though his role has 'almost certainly been exaggerated'. In 54 BC, Brutus served as triumvir monetalis, designing a denarius with the portraits of his paternal ancestor Lucius Junius Brutus and maternal ancestor Gaius Servilius Ahala, both recognized as defenders of liberty. He also made a second type featuring Libertas and Lucius Brutus. These coins show Brutus' admiration for the tyrannicides of the early republic and participated in propaganda against Pompey. Brutus married Claudia, likely in 54, and was elected quaestor in 53. He then travelled with his father-in-law to Cilicia, likely as proquaestor, where he spent time as a money-lender. While in Cilicia, Brutus asked Cicero to help collect two debts: one to Ariobarzanes, king of Cappadocia, and one to the town of Salamis. The loan to Salamis was made at 48 per cent per annum, far in excess of Cicero's interest cap of 12 per cent. In 52, Brutus wrote a pamphlet, De Dictatura Pompei, opposing demands for Pompey to be made dictator, writing 'it is better to rule no one than to be another man's slave, for one can live honourably without power but to live as a slave is impossible'. He also wrote for Milo a now-lost speech connecting Milo's killing of Clodius to the welfare of the state. In the late 50s, Brutus was elected as a pontifex. In 50, he played a significant role in defending his father-in-law Appius Claudius from charges of treason and electoral malpractice.

In Their Own Story

When Caesar's Civil War broke out in January 49 BC between Pompey and Caesar, Brutus faced a choice. Pompey and his allies fled the city before Caesar's army arrived in March. Brutus decided to side with Pompey against Caesar's forces. Pompey was defeated at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48, after which Brutus surrendered to Caesar, who granted him amnesty. With Caesar's increasingly monarchical and autocratic behaviour after the civil war, several senators who later called themselves liberatores plotted to assassinate him. Brutus took a leading role in the assassination, which was carried out successfully on the Ides of March (15 March) of 44 BC. In a settlement between the liberatores and the Caesarians, an amnesty was granted to the assassins while Caesar's acts were upheld for two years. Popular unrest forced Brutus and his brother-in-law, fellow assassin Gaius Cassius Longinus, to leave Rome in April 44. After a complex political realignment, Octavian made himself consul and, with his colleague, passed a law retroactively making Brutus and the other conspirators murderers. This led to a second civil war, in which Mark Antony and Octavian fought the liberatores led by Brutus and Cassius. The Caesarians decisively defeated the outnumbered armies of Brutus and Cassius at the two battles at Philippi in October 42. After the defeat, Brutus took his own life.

Reader's Guide

Marcus Junius Brutus is defined by his role as the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. His political career began in opposition to Pompey, who had killed his father, but he later sided with Pompey against Caesar during the civil war. After surrendering to Caesar and receiving amnesty, Brutus eventually came to oppose Caesar's monarchical behaviour and took a leading role in the assassination on the Ides of March, 44 BC. Forced to leave Rome in April 44, Brutus and Cassius led the liberatores in a second civil war against Mark Antony and Octavian. The Caesarians decisively defeated their outnumbered armies at the two battles at Philippi in October 42. After the defeat, Brutus took his own life. His name has become a synonym for 'betrayal' or 'traitor' in most languages of Europe, and his condemnation for betrayal of Caesar is perhaps rivalled only by the name of Judas Iscariot, with whom he is portrayed in Dante Alighieri's Inferno. He also has been praised in various narratives as a virtuous and committed republican who fought for freedom and against tyranny.

Did You Know?

• Brutus was adopted by a relative and used the legal name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, though he hardly used it.
• Some ancient sources suggested Caesar might be Brutus' real father, but Caesar was only fifteen when Brutus was born, and modern scholars largely reject this as chronologically improbable.
• As a moneyer in 54 BC, Brutus issued coins featuring his ancestors Lucius Junius Brutus and Gaius Servilius Ahala, both recognized as defenders of liberty.
• Brutus wrote a pamphlet in 52 BC titled De Dictatura Pompei, arguing 'it is better to rule no one than to be another man's slave'.
• The loan Brutus made to the town of Salamis carried an interest rate of 48 per cent per annum, far exceeding Cicero's cap of 12 per cent.