Et tu Brutus?

Marcus Junius Brutus, the son of Marcus Junius Brutus and Servilia (who was the half sister of Cato the Younger). After the death of his father in 78 B.C. he was brought up by his uncle Q. Servilius Caepio.

Brutus was a scholar, philosopher, and orator whose works showed great learning but little profundity. He was an intimate friend of Cicero, whose history of oratory was dedicated to him and named for him. A portion of the correspondence between Cicero and Brutus has been preserved.

According to legend Lucius Junius Brutus, an ancestor of Marcus Brutus, took a leading part in the expulsion of the kings of Rome. Lucius's own brother and father were both murdered by the Tarquins (Etruscan kings ruled Rome as absolute monarchs). Lucius was said to have murdered his own sons for conspiring to restore them. So long was the tradition and proud history of the line of Brutus.

Caesar's move to cross the Rubicon heading his large army was an affront to Marcus Brutus, who while he saw Caesar as a friend and mentor, feared the reemergence of king or an emperor. This prompted Brutus to ally with Gnaeus Pompey and he joined the Optimates on the outbreak of civil war in 49.

After Pompey's defeat at the Battle of Pharsala in 48 B.C. he was not only pardoned by Caesar, but received many marks of favour, being made governor of Cisalpine Gaul in 46 and praetor in 44. Despite Caesar's generous treatment of him, and assurance of a later appointment as governor of Macedonia, Brutus distrusted Caesar.

Brutus favored rule by the Roman senate rather than by a single individual. He was convinced that republican government would be restored to Rome after Caesar's death. When Gaius Cassius proposed to kill Caesar, Brutus joined in the conspiracy against Caesar for patriotic reasons.

On Mar. 15, 44 B.C., the assassins attacked Caesar in the senate house. According to tradition Caesar cried out, "Et tu, Brute!" ("And you, Brutus!") when stabbed by Brutus.

After Mark Antony, Caesar's lieutenant, denounced the assassins, public sentiment was inflamed, and Brutus fled Rome. He took refuge in Athens, won over troops in Macedonia, and gathered a powerful army about him. Later he joined forces with Cassius, who commanded a large army in Syria.

At Philippi they fought the armies of Antony and Octavian (later Emperor Augustus), who were the avengers of Caesar. In the first, Brutus was successful, though Cassius was defeated. At the second Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C., Octavian defeated Brutus. Rather than surrender, Brutus committed suicide by falling on his sword.

Shakespeare made Brutus the central character of his tragedy Julius Caesar, in which, according to a number of critics, Brutus is portrayed in too favorable a light.