Marcus Junius Brutus

Origin

Brutus claimed to go down from Lucius Junius Brutus which in -509, after the Viol of Lucrèce, reversed the last king de Rome, Tarquin Superb the and, so founded the Roman République. He is the son of Marcus Junius Brutus, in favor of Marius, and Servilia Caepionis, half-sister of Caton d' Utique, and was born in 85 av. J. - C.

Biography

Brutus passed most of its youth to Greece to study philosophy.

Intellectual, acting after a great reflection, it followed the party of Pompée in the civil war (in spite of the fact that Pompée made carry out his/her father when Marcus was very child), and fought with the Bataille of Pharsale (-48), thinking that it was in this party that it would be most useful to Rome. César, which liked it, and which, even, said one, was his father, called it near him after its victory, and filled it favors. These “interested” favors did not prevent it from keeping its republican ideals and of virtue. Seeing only one solution in order to save the Roman Republic of a decline started right now, Brutus decided by fidelity with the republican principles forming a coup d'etat “legalist” against the dictator. The leaders of the assassination of César allotted to Brutus the role of faithful continuing family traditions by depicting César like avid title of king and royal authority.

César, at the time to die, the indicator with the number of entreated, exclaimed: “ And you also, my son? ” After this murder, Brutus, continued by Marc Antoine, meets in Cassius, and fought battle to Marc Antoine and Octave in the plains of Philips in Macedonia.

He was overcome, and, with Cassius, committed suicide of despair. It is said that he exclaimed while dying on October 23rd 42 av. J. - C.: “ Virtue, you are only one name ”; but this despairing word does not have anything authentic, and “ manners are only words ”. Its widow, Porcie, the girl of Caton d' Utique, committed suicide by swallowing burning coals, as soon as she knew the news of this death: Robert Garnier composed a tragedy on this subject: Porcie (1568).

Brutus cultivated a very great interest for the letters and philosophy. It is current to think that it embraced the Stoïcisme, but he was located in fact in the heritage of Plato and the Academy and could draw reasons there to intervene against César. He had composed a praise of Caton d' Utique and other works which did not reach us, in particular a Of virtute and a Of patientia - it remains however of him only some letters with Cicéron and Atticus. Cicéron had dedicated its treaty to him Of claris oratoribus . Plutarque wrote its Vie .

The death of Brutus

The last speech of Brutus

Brutus being expressed with its troops, for the last time: This is to me a very great joy, in this moment, to note that I was betrayed per none of my friends. If I had reproaches to make, I would make any only with Fortune. Not for me, but for my fatherland. Because I estimate myself, for my part, happier than our winners. In the past like today, yes, I am happier than they will be it never. I will leave at least a reputation of virtue. Over that, they will never triumph by the weapons. And all their money will not manage to tarnish it this virtue. They will not be able to prevent the posterity from seeing in them individuals malicious and unjust, who will have put at died of the men of good, honest and right, with an aim of usurping a capacity to which they did not have any right. As for you, you tried Fortune. If there remains to you a chance to make peace with our enemies, seizes and thinks it of preserving you. Let us go away, maintenant.

Man of honor, of conviction, impregnated of an idealism out of the commun run and of a virtue without fault, Brutus will thus make gift of his life for the Roman Republic, which will be completed however with its death.

Its death seen by the historians of Antiquity

The death of Brutus was reported by the historians of Antiquity:

Dion Cassius, 47,49: Renonçant to save its life and believer unworthy of him to be taken, it took refuge, him also, in death. After being itself cleaned, like Hercules: " unhappy virtue! you were only one word; I cultivated you like a reality, and you were the slave of fortune " ; He requested one of those which were with him of the tuer.
Plutarque, Vie of Brutus , 63: then it was withdrawn with the variation with two or three people only, of which Straton. He had known it by studying rhetoric. He approached more close to him, and taking its sword with two hands by the handle, he dropped himself from high sound on the point, and he committed suicide ainsi.
Appien, 4,17: At the time Brutus being turned over towards his/her friends, spoke to them as follows: " Then that it is thus thus, I am not useful any more in anything for my patrie". Then it called one of his principal friends, named Straton, and it requested it to want to advance its death. And indicator that this Straton temporized and wanted to persuade it to adopt the best thought, it called one of its slaves to carry out this project. Then Straton says to him: " By giving this last order, you will not miss more a friend of one slave! " And at once, it made him pass its sword through the body, without Brutus withdrawing nor remuât.

Literary character

French tragedies

Brutus appears in three French humanistic tragedies:

Iulius Caesar of Marc-Antoine Muret (1553)
César of Jacques Grévin (1560)
Cornélie of Robert Garnier (1574)

Shakespeare

Brutus appears in the part of William Shakespeare, Jules César , here an extract of Brutus being explained in front of the Roman People:

BRUTUS: If there is among you some true friend of César, eh well, that it knows that the love which Brutus carried in César was not less than it his. And if he asks me why Brutus was drawn up against César, here my answer: I did not like César less, I liked Rome more. Do you prefer César living and to die slaves? or died César, and all food free? César liked me and I cry it. He was the success, I by of delighted. He was valiant, I honor it. But it was ambitious and I killed it. For its friendship of the tears. For its fortune, a merry memory. For its value, respect. And for its ambition, death. Who among you is enough cheap to agree to be slave? If such exists, that he speaks. Because him, I offended it. Who is enough coarse not to wish to be a Romain? If such a being exists, that he speaks. Because him, I offended it. Who is contemptible at the point not to like his country? If such a man exists, that he speaks. Because him, I offended it. I stop and I wait.

ALL: Nobody Brutus, nobody!

BRUTUS: Then, I did not offend anybody. I did not do anything in César that you would not make in Brutus.

Marc Aurèle pays homage to Brutus

" Of Severe: love of the family, the truth and justice, and thanks to him the discovery of Thraséas, Helvidius, Caton, Dion and Brutus, concept of a democratic, founded government on the equality and the right of expression, and an empire respecting over all the freedom of its subjects; but also the constant and regular worship of philosophy, the benevolence, liberality, the hope and the faith in the friendship, the frankness towards those which he disapproved and the transparency towards his friends, who had never to wonder about what it wanted. "

Marc Aurèle, Written for itself , 14.

the emperor Marc Aurèle was stoical, it seems to associate here Dion with Brutus, both Platonic, like had made before him Plutarque

Works

Treated Virtue of Marcus Junius Brutus (this manuscript could not be found)

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