Treacherous Facts About Brutus, The Man Who Killed Caesar
He is arguably one of the most famous murderers in human history. Ever since his involvement in the slaying of Julius Caesar, writers and artists have reinterpreted and reimagined Brutus endless times. Different people consider him a hero, a villain, or something in between. Actors have made their name by portraying him onstage and onscreen. He’s even inspired others to act as he did, for better or for worse. And now, we here at Factinate have assembled a list of facts about this infamous traitor's life, legacy, and impact upon humanity.
1. A Cursed Name is Given
Marcus Junius Brutus was born in 85 BC. He was the second person, after his father, to bear that name. After his uncle adopted him (more on that later), he briefly changed his name to Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but that didn’t last for long.
2. Setting an Example
Brutus descended from one of the most prestigious families in all of Rome. Brutus’s ancestor, Lucius Junius Brutus, assisted in the overthrow of an Etruscan king who ruled Rome. Lucius literally had the moniker “
the founder of the Roman Republic". Does this mean that bringing down dictators was just a family tradition in Brutus’s family?
3. It Works Better Than “But Why?!”
The statement “Et tu, Brute?” is one of antiquity's most famous phrases. Julius Caesar allegedly uttered this when he recognized Brutus while several senators stabbed him. It isn’t known if Caesar really did say that as he was dying, though plays as far back as the 16th century (not just Shakespeare either) have put the immortal words in Caesar’s mouth. Furthermore, the meaning of these supposed last words may be far darker than people think.
4. Tragic Paternal Backstory
Brutus’s father, Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder, was a tribune of the Roman Republic with a close connection to the Roman faction known as the populares.
To skip the long lecture on ancient Roman politics, let’s just say that for a time, a man named Sulla was dictator of Rome, and when he passed on, there was a rather chaotic power vacuum.
One of the men who rose to power in this time was Pompey, a highly talented and accomplished Roman general. Brutus’s father fought against Pompey in 77 BC, to disastrous results. It’s not clear what exactly happened, but one way or another, Brutus’s father ended up in Pompey’s captivity until the general had him executed.
Wikimedia Commons, Marie-Lan Nguyen
