Marcus Junius Brutus
Who was Marcus Junius Brutus?
Assassin of Julius Caesar
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Marcus Junius Brutus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Marcus Junius Brutus (around 85-42 BC) was a Roman politician, speaker, and thinker, famous for leading the assassination of Julius Caesar. He was born into a well-known plebeian family with a strong belief in the republic, tracing his ancestry to Lucius Junius Brutus, the legendary founder of the Roman Republic who ousted Rome's last king. After being adopted by his uncle Quintus Servilius Caepio, he legally became Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, although he was commonly called Brutus.
Brutus started his political career with mixed loyalties that shaped his future decisions. Despite his father's death caused by Pompey's forces, Brutus initially opposed Pompey while maintaining a close bond with Julius Caesar. Although Caesar was his father's enemy, he treated Brutus kindly. As Caesar's ambitions grew and his approach became more autocratic, Brutus found himself caught between his loyalty to Caesar and his strong republican beliefs. During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey (49-45 BC), Brutus chose to side with Pompey, viewing him as a defender of republican values despite their past conflicts.
After Pompey’s defeat at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC, Brutus surrendered to Caesar, who forgave him and continued to treat him warmly. Caesar even appointed Brutus as praetor urbanus for 44 BC. However, Caesar's increasingly king-like behavior, such as accepting divine honors and not standing before the senate, worried many senators who feared for the Republic. Despite his personal ties to Caesar, Brutus felt that his family's legacy required him to act to save the republican government.
On March 15, 44 BC, Brutus joined about sixty conspirators in murdering Caesar in the Theatre of Pompey. As a leader of the plot with Gaius Cassius Longinus, Brutus brought important legitimacy to the conspiracy due to his honorable reputation and connection to the Republic's founding. Initially, the assassination seemed successful, with the senate granting amnesty to the conspirators while preserving Caesar’s actions. However, Mark Antony’s funeral speech sparked unrest, forcing Brutus and his fellow liberators to leave Rome in April 44 BC. The situation worsened when Octavian, Caesar’s adopted heir, teamed up with Antony and passed a law labeling the conspirators as murderers. This led to a second civil war, ending in the battles of Philippi in October 42 BC, where the outnumbered republican forces suffered a crushing defeat. After this loss, Brutus killed himself, reportedly saying that virtue was meaningless.
Before Fame
Brutus was born in about 85 BC into one of Rome's most respected families, with a lineage going back to Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder of the Roman Republic. His father, also named Marcus Junius Brutus, was a tribune of the plebs and was killed by Pompey's lieutenant Quintus Metellus Pius in 77 BC while governing Cisalpine Gaul. Brutus received an outstanding education in rhetoric, philosophy, and law, studying in both Rome and Athens, where he developed a strong appreciation for Stoic philosophy and republican ideals.
He rose to prominence after being adopted by his wealthy uncle Quintus Servilius Caepio, which gave him significant financial resources and political connections. Brutus married Claudia, daughter of the influential Appius Claudius Pulcher, further solidifying his status within the Roman elite. In his early political career, Brutus worked as a moneylender in Cyprus and later served as quaestor, showing both administrative skill and a reputation for personal integrity that would become valuable to the conspiracy against Caesar.
Key Achievements
- Led the conspiracy that assassinated Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44 BC
- Served as praetor urbanus in 44 BC, one of Rome's highest judicial offices
- Commanded republican forces alongside Cassius in the final attempt to restore the Roman Republic
- Established himself as a notable orator and philosopher, writing treatises on virtue and duty
- Successfully governed Cyprus as quaestor, demonstrating administrative competence despite controversial financial practices
Did You Know?
- 01.Brutus minted coins with his own image alongside his ancestor Lucius Junius Brutus and the daggers used to kill Caesar, with the inscription 'Ides of March'
- 02.He divorced his first wife Claudia to marry Porcia, daughter of Cato the Younger, scandalizing Roman society in 45 BC
- 03.Despite being Caesar's assassin, Brutus had borrowed substantial money from Caesar and owed him approximately 6 million denarii at the time of the murder
- 04.Porcia proved her worthiness as his wife by deliberately wounding her thigh and enduring the pain in silence to demonstrate she could keep his secrets
- 05.Shakespeare's famous line 'Et tu, Brute?' was likely fictional, as historical sources suggest Caesar's actual last words were in Greek: 'Kai su, teknon?' meaning 'You too, my child?'