Lucius Junius Brutus

• 1. Founding The Republic

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  In 509 BC, the Roman people voted to banish King Tarquinius Superbus and establish a new system of government. Lucius Junius Brutus stood at the center of this upheaval, leading the revolt that expelled the monarchy. Tradition holds that Brutus was the son of Tarquinia, making him the nephew of the very king he overthrew. He had spent years feigning stupidity to avoid his uncle's suspicion after Tarquinius executed many of Rome's chief men. This pretense allowed him to survive while plotting against the tyrant. When Lucretia committed suicide following her rape by Sextus Tarquinius, Brutus seized the dagger from her breast. He shouted for the overthrow of the Tarquins before gathering the youth of Collatia. These men marched on Rome where Brutus summoned the public to the forum. He exhorted them to rise up against their ruler. Cicero later noted that Brutus may have been a private citizen rather than a cavalry officer as some accounts suggest. The people voted to depose the king and exile his family. Tarquinius Superbus fled into exile with his household.

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• 2. Historicity And Doubts

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  Modern historians challenge almost every detail of the traditional story recorded by Livy. Virtually all records prior to 390 BC were destroyed when Gauls sacked Rome under Brennus. Some scholars argue that Etruscan King Porsenna actually overthrew Tarquinius instead of Brutus. The plebeian status of the Junia gens raises doubts about whether Brutus could have held the consulship. Ancient sources claim he was an ancestor of Decimus Junius Brutus and Marcus Junius Brutus. Yet traditions about his life may be entirely fictional constructs. A bronze bust known as the Capitoline Brutus dates from the 4th to early 3rd centuries BC. Modern scholars rejected this artifact as a portrait of Lucius Brutus despite its name. No reliable historical records exist from before the Gallic sack of 387 BC. The account relies heavily on Livy's Ab urbe condita written centuries after the events. Polybius mentions a treaty signed between Rome and Carthage during Brutus' time. This document along with unanimous Roman reporting remains the main evidence for his historicity. Without these few references, the figure might vanish into pure myth.

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• 3. The Oath Of Liberty

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  Brutus forced the people of Rome to swear an oath never allowing any man to rule again. Plutarch and Appian reported this event differently but both acknowledged its existence. The oath required citizens to suffer no king in Rome under any circumstances. It fundamentally restated the private vow taken by conspirators who overthrew the monarchy. This public commitment prevented future swaying by royal entreaties or bribes. The spirit of the oath inspired later Romans including his descendant Marcus Junius Brutus. Livy described how Brutus administered this pledge immediately after expelling Tarquinius Superbus. He replenished the senate number to 300 from the principal men of the equites. Later generations attributed many institutions to him such as taking auspices before entering office. They credited him with using the curiate assembly to bestow consular imperium. Alternation of fasces between consuls also appeared among his supposed reforms. Expansion of the senate adding minores gentes was another claimed achievement. A temple dedicated to Carna on the Coelian hill stood as his final dedication. These acts formed the foundation of Roman republican liberty for centuries.

• 4. Execution Of His Sons

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  Two brothers of Brutus' wife Vitellia conspired to restore the Tarquinian monarchy alongside Brutus' own sons. Titus Junius Brutus and Tiberius Junius Brutus joined the plot against their father's government. When discovered, the consuls determined to punish all conspirators with death. Brutus watched the execution of his own children while showing visible emotion during the punishment. This act gained him respect for stoicism despite personal grief. Following these executions he forced co-consul Collatinus to resign or had him removed. Some accounts suggest this happened due to enmity regarding Collatinus' relationship to the Tarquins. Others claim it resulted from Collatinus lacking harshness in punishing the conspirators. Brutus then presided over the election of suffect consul Publius Valerius Poplicola. The new administration moved quickly to secure power after the internal threat. Roman noblewomen mourned Brutus for one year following his death. They honored him for vengeance taken on Lucretia's violation. This period marked a transition from royal rule to consular governance under strict laws.

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• 5. Battle Of Silva Arsia

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  Tarquinius Superbus returned to lead forces of Tarquinii and Veii against the Roman army at Silva Arsia. Valerius commanded the infantry while Brutus led the cavalry division. Arruns Tarquinius directed Etruscan cavalry forces from afar. He spotted lictors and recognized the presence of a consul before charging forward. Both men were cousins who charged each other directly. They speared one another to death in single combat. The infantry soon joined the battle creating uncertainty about the outcome. The right wing of each army achieved victory initially. Tarquinii forces forced back Romans while Veientes routed their opponents. Eventually Etruscan forces fled the field leaving Romans claiming victory. Some time during his consulship he signed a treaty with Carthage according to Polybius. A funeral held by surviving consul Valerius celebrated Brutus' life with magnificence. The Roman people mourned deeply for the man who died defending their new republic.

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• 6. Legacy In Art And Literature

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  Marcus Junius Brutus minted coins featuring Lucius Junius Brutus portrait on two occasions. First appeared as denarius when serving as triumvir monetalis in 54 BC. Later gold aureus emerged during final months of Liberators civil war in 42 BC. Shakespeare referenced him in lines where Cassius reminds Marcus Brutus of their ancestor. The Tragedie of Julius Cæsar contains dialogue suggesting Brutus would have tolerated eternal devilry rather than kingship. Nathaniel Lee's Restoration tragedy Lucius Junius Brutus faced banning in December 1680. Authorities prohibited it for portraying Whig cause as Roman republicanism. Jacques-Louis David exhibited The Lictors Bring to Brutus Bodies of His Sons publicly in 1789. Guillaume Guillon-Lethière depicted similar scenes in grand style through work titled Brutus Condemning His Sons to Death from 1788. Søren Kierkegaard discussed Brutus briefly in Fear and Trembling as example of tragic heroism. Italian patriots established short-lived Roman Republic in February 1849 inspired by his memory. He remained a hero of republicanism throughout Enlightenment and Neoclassical periods.

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