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Marcus Junius Brutus (character of Rome)
Encyclopedia
Marcus Junius Brutus is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO
/BBC2 original television series Rome
, played by Tobias Menzies
. He is depicted as a young man torn between what he believes is right, and his loyalty and love of a man who has been like a father to him. The real Marcus Junius Brutus
was the most famous of Julius Caesar
's assassins, and one of the key figures in the civil wars that followed the assassination.
Although Brutus cares for Caesar, he suffers a significant moral quandary about Caesar's methods. Nonetheless, Brutus is willing to accept the fact that Caesar is the dictator. Brutus' final decision to assassinate Caesar, perhaps his most significant of the whole show, is more based on anger at Caesar's mistrust of him, and massive pressure from his mother, than on his moral principles which he had, absent the other factors mentioned, been ignoring successfully for some time. Even when he does finally kill Caesar; he does it half-heartedly and full of guilt.
Brutus's guilt continues to plague him throughout part of the second season when he begins descending into drunkenness. While in his stupor, Brutus continuously earns the ridicule of others when he tries to explain his part in Caesar's death. Brutus eventually seems to wash away his guilt of killing Caesar by bathing naked in a river and from then on seems less worried about his actions. After raising a considerable army with Cassius, Brutus's spirits rise considerably as they march back to Rome, having apparently come to terms with his role as defender of the Republic. The good humour does not last long however as he is soon defeated at the Battle of Philippi
by the combined forces of Octavian and Antony. Unwilling to run when Cassius died, Brutus sadly walks towards the advancing enemy ranks and forces them to stab him to death in a scene reminiscient of the senators stabbing Caesar.
, who is the lover of Gaius Julius Caesar
. Brutus is also the direct descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus
who founded the Roman republic
. His father died when he was a child and was brought up alone by his mother, although Caesar appears to have had a large part in his upbringing also. At the beginning of the series, Brutus first appears when he visits Caesar at his camp in Gaul, on the way home from visiting his cousin. Brutus appears to show a very real affection for Caesar, and Caesar appears to reciprocate these feelings and treats him as a father would a son. Upon returning home, his mother demands to know if Caesar asked of her at all; the fact that Brutus humorously teases his mother before giving her the love letter suggests that the affair has indeed been going on for so long that he finds no reason to question it.
After this argument, Brutus agrees to Cassius and Servilia's wishes and plans to assassinate Caesar. While the other senators attempt to come up with ideas to murder Caesar by bribing his cook and poisoning him, Brutus scolds them all saying that the death of Caesar isn't "some cheap murder" and that to make it honourable it must be done by their own hands. Brutus also insists that Mark Antony
, Caesar's right-hand man and Lucius Vorenus
, the new senator Caesar has appointed, must not be harmed. On the Ides of March, Brutus and the other senators involved in the plot attack Caesar on the Senate floor, stabbing him to death. Brutus watches in horror to begin with as the other senators attack Caesar and it is only when Caesar is bleeding to death on the Senate floor that Cassius forces the dagger into Brutus' hand and orders him to stab Caesar. Brutus kneels next to Caesar, both of them clearly heartbroken at seeing each other in such a state; he stabs Caesar and Caeser finally dies.
While in Asia Minor, Brutus receives an urgent message from Cicero: Octavian has taken control of Rome and is using his army to coerce the senators into declaring Brutus and Cassius enemies of the state. Cicero pleads for Brutus and Cassius to take their army and return to Rome in order to remove Octavian, who Cicero guarantees is weak. Overjoyed at going home, Brutus marches his men all the way to Greece before encountering the combined forces of Octavian and Antony. Even though Brutus and Cassius only have 14 legions to Octavian and Antony's 19, Brutus elects to stay and fight, mindful of his past cowardice. In the following battle, Brutus witnesses Cassius's final moments and the utter defeat of their army. Unwilling to dishonour himself any longer, Brutus kisses his signet ring (passed down to him from his father by Servilia) and orders his men to save themselves. Brutus then walks towards the advancing enemy while stripping off his armour. Although the legionaries seem reluctant to attack him, Brutus forces them to strike by slicing the leg of one soldier – he is stabbed to death in a scene deliberately similar to Caesar's assassination. After the battle, a marauder is seen cutting off Brutus' finger to steal the ring, oblivious to its value and significance.
was the son of Servilia Caepionis
and the tribune
of the same name. He was the half-brother to Junia Tertia
, who married his ally Gaius Cassius Longinus
as well as having two other sisters. He was the nephew of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis, through his mother who was Cato's elder half-sister. Cato was also the father of Porcia Catonis
, who was Brutus' second and most well-known wife (HBO: Rome's Brutus is known to be unmarried). Brutus' relationship to Cassius and Cato is not mentioned, and his three sisters and wife Porcia are omitted from the series completely.
It is known by means of record that historical Brutus' face was heavily pockmarked, possibly from smallpox
; the character, however, has clear skin.
No one has a clear view on what the historical Brutus was really like, although his personality and life is best recalled in Plutarch
who describes him as an intelligent and well-read man saying that "There was practically no Greek philosopher with whom Brutus was unacquainted or unfamiliar..." as well as that, "In Latin, now, Brutus was sufficiently trained for narrative or pleading; but in Greek he affected the brevity of the apophthegm and the Spartan, of which he sometimes gives a striking example in his letters."
Although the rift between Brutus and Servilia is historical it was for different reasons. While the series explained it as Servilia's disappointment with Brutus at accepting favours from Caesar, historically it was Brutus' divorce of his first wife and marriage to Porcia. Modern historians agree that it was Brutus' wife Porcia, rather than his mother Servilia, who may have persuaded him to participate in the assassination of Caesar. However this is still theory based on the fact Porcia was the only woman privy to the plot prior to it being carried out. Again, Servilia fills this gap.
Historically, Brutus committed suicide after the second battle of Philippi nearly 3 weeks after Cassius' death. In the series the events of the battles are concentrated and his death mirrors Caesar's; he is surrounded and stabbed to death by a throng of enemy soldiers.
Interestingly enough, Plutarch recalls that Brutus' brother-in-law
refused to retreat and died by charging into the enemy ranks without armour or sword. This may have been one of the factors that influenced Brutus' death in the series.
In a tribute to the famous line from William Shakespeare
's Julius Caesar, "Et tu, Brute?", the character at one point turns to his mother, who is urging him to take a distasteful course of action, and says, "You too, mother?"
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
/BBC2 original television series Rome
Rome (TV series)
Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
, played by Tobias Menzies
Tobias Menzies
Tobias Menzies is an English stage, television, and film actor, best known for his role as Brutus in the 2005/2007 TV series Rome.-Early years:...
. He is depicted as a young man torn between what he believes is right, and his loyalty and love of a man who has been like a father to him. The real Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
was the most famous of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
's assassins, and one of the key figures in the civil wars that followed the assassination.
Personality
He is a haughty but awkward young noble; it is unclear which parts of Brutus' actions are done in favour of what he believes or what part of his actions are done in favour of what others expect of him. Brutus appears to lack all interest in politics at the beginning of the series, referring to it as "dull stuff" but his mother's ideals of what is expected of the family normally is the motive for him choosing the right path of the republic. However, he appears to have some of his own ideals of what is right and wrong, especially when he chooses to follow Pompey in the civil war despite his closeness to Caesar and his mother's choice to remain in Rome. Although later in the series when Caesar attempts to send him from Rome, Brutus says that had Caesar asked him for his allegiance "I would have judged you insane, but I would have given you my allegiance because I look on you as my father." Brutus normally finds himself torn between his duty to his family and his love for Caesar.Although Brutus cares for Caesar, he suffers a significant moral quandary about Caesar's methods. Nonetheless, Brutus is willing to accept the fact that Caesar is the dictator. Brutus' final decision to assassinate Caesar, perhaps his most significant of the whole show, is more based on anger at Caesar's mistrust of him, and massive pressure from his mother, than on his moral principles which he had, absent the other factors mentioned, been ignoring successfully for some time. Even when he does finally kill Caesar; he does it half-heartedly and full of guilt.
Brutus's guilt continues to plague him throughout part of the second season when he begins descending into drunkenness. While in his stupor, Brutus continuously earns the ridicule of others when he tries to explain his part in Caesar's death. Brutus eventually seems to wash away his guilt of killing Caesar by bathing naked in a river and from then on seems less worried about his actions. After raising a considerable army with Cassius, Brutus's spirits rise considerably as they march back to Rome, having apparently come to terms with his role as defender of the Republic. The good humour does not last long however as he is soon defeated at the Battle of Philippi
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian and the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...
by the combined forces of Octavian and Antony. Unwilling to run when Cassius died, Brutus sadly walks towards the advancing enemy ranks and forces them to stab him to death in a scene reminiscient of the senators stabbing Caesar.
Season One
Brutus is the son of Servilia of the JuniiServilia of the Junii
Servilia of the Junii is a character from the HBO/BBC/RAI original television series, Rome, played by Lindsay Duncan. The mother of Marcus Junius Brutus, lover of the married Julius Caesar and enemy of Atia of the Julii, Servilia is depicted as a sophisticated and regal Roman matron who follows her...
, who is the lover of Gaius Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (character of Rome)
Gaius Julius Caesar is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Irish actor Ciarán Hinds...
. Brutus is also the direct descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus
Lucius Junius Brutus
Lucius Junius Brutus was the founder of the Roman Republic and traditionally one of the first consuls in 509 BC. He was claimed as an ancestor of the Roman gens Junia, including Marcus Junius Brutus, the most famous of Caesar's assassins.- Background :...
who founded the Roman republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. His father died when he was a child and was brought up alone by his mother, although Caesar appears to have had a large part in his upbringing also. At the beginning of the series, Brutus first appears when he visits Caesar at his camp in Gaul, on the way home from visiting his cousin. Brutus appears to show a very real affection for Caesar, and Caesar appears to reciprocate these feelings and treats him as a father would a son. Upon returning home, his mother demands to know if Caesar asked of her at all; the fact that Brutus humorously teases his mother before giving her the love letter suggests that the affair has indeed been going on for so long that he finds no reason to question it.
After this argument, Brutus agrees to Cassius and Servilia's wishes and plans to assassinate Caesar. While the other senators attempt to come up with ideas to murder Caesar by bribing his cook and poisoning him, Brutus scolds them all saying that the death of Caesar isn't "some cheap murder" and that to make it honourable it must be done by their own hands. Brutus also insists that Mark Antony
Mark Antony (character of Rome)
Mark Antony is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by James Purefoy. Like the real Mark Antony he was a Roman general and politician and a close supporter of Julius Caesar.- Season 1 :...
, Caesar's right-hand man and Lucius Vorenus
Lucius Vorenus (character of Rome)
Lucius Vorenus is a semi-fictional character in the British-Italian-American historical drama television series Rome, a show about the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Played by Scottish actor Kevin McKidd in the series, Lucius Vorenus is introduced as a main character...
, the new senator Caesar has appointed, must not be harmed. On the Ides of March, Brutus and the other senators involved in the plot attack Caesar on the Senate floor, stabbing him to death. Brutus watches in horror to begin with as the other senators attack Caesar and it is only when Caesar is bleeding to death on the Senate floor that Cassius forces the dagger into Brutus' hand and orders him to stab Caesar. Brutus kneels next to Caesar, both of them clearly heartbroken at seeing each other in such a state; he stabs Caesar and Caeser finally dies.
Season Two
Unable to stand killing a man he once loved, Brutus hurries home and washes the blood off of his shaking hands while Servilia tries to keep him calm. Although Brutus seems confident that the transfer of power will be peaceful, Antony proves otherwise and politically manoeuvres Brutus, along with the other conspirators (with the exception of Servilia), to leave Rome. Unwilling to give up, Brutus and Cassius set out to raise an army in Asia Minor but Brutus does so only half-heartedly, still depressed over his involvement in Caesar's death. As a result, Brutus begins to grow careless of his image and becomes a bearded, drink-sodden wreck much to the annoyance of Cassius. After washing his sins free in a river, Brutus seems to recover from his guilt and sets out with much more rigour.While in Asia Minor, Brutus receives an urgent message from Cicero: Octavian has taken control of Rome and is using his army to coerce the senators into declaring Brutus and Cassius enemies of the state. Cicero pleads for Brutus and Cassius to take their army and return to Rome in order to remove Octavian, who Cicero guarantees is weak. Overjoyed at going home, Brutus marches his men all the way to Greece before encountering the combined forces of Octavian and Antony. Even though Brutus and Cassius only have 14 legions to Octavian and Antony's 19, Brutus elects to stay and fight, mindful of his past cowardice. In the following battle, Brutus witnesses Cassius's final moments and the utter defeat of their army. Unwilling to dishonour himself any longer, Brutus kisses his signet ring (passed down to him from his father by Servilia) and orders his men to save themselves. Brutus then walks towards the advancing enemy while stripping off his armour. Although the legionaries seem reluctant to attack him, Brutus forces them to strike by slicing the leg of one soldier – he is stabbed to death in a scene deliberately similar to Caesar's assassination. After the battle, a marauder is seen cutting off Brutus' finger to steal the ring, oblivious to its value and significance.
Comparison with the historical Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius BrutusMarcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
was the son of Servilia Caepionis
Servilia Caepionis
Servilia Caepionis was the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother of one of Caesar's assassins, Brutus, mother-in-law of another Caesar assassin, Cassius, and half-sister of Cato the Younger.-Life:...
and the tribune
Tribune
Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
of the same name. He was the half-brother to Junia Tertia
Junia Tertia
Junia Tertia, or Tertulla, was the third daughter of Servilia Caepionis and her second husband Decimus Junius Silanus, half-sister of Marcus Junius Brutus, and wife of Gaius Cassius Longinus....
, who married his ally Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:...
as well as having two other sisters. He was the nephew of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis, through his mother who was Cato's elder half-sister. Cato was also the father of Porcia Catonis
Porcia Catonis
Porcia Catonis, also known simply as Porcia was a Roman woman who lived in the 1st century BC. She was the daughter of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis and his first wife Atilia...
, who was Brutus' second and most well-known wife (HBO: Rome's Brutus is known to be unmarried). Brutus' relationship to Cassius and Cato is not mentioned, and his three sisters and wife Porcia are omitted from the series completely.
It is known by means of record that historical Brutus' face was heavily pockmarked, possibly from smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
; the character, however, has clear skin.
No one has a clear view on what the historical Brutus was really like, although his personality and life is best recalled in Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
who describes him as an intelligent and well-read man saying that "There was practically no Greek philosopher with whom Brutus was unacquainted or unfamiliar..." as well as that, "In Latin, now, Brutus was sufficiently trained for narrative or pleading; but in Greek he affected the brevity of the apophthegm and the Spartan, of which he sometimes gives a striking example in his letters."
Although the rift between Brutus and Servilia is historical it was for different reasons. While the series explained it as Servilia's disappointment with Brutus at accepting favours from Caesar, historically it was Brutus' divorce of his first wife and marriage to Porcia. Modern historians agree that it was Brutus' wife Porcia, rather than his mother Servilia, who may have persuaded him to participate in the assassination of Caesar. However this is still theory based on the fact Porcia was the only woman privy to the plot prior to it being carried out. Again, Servilia fills this gap.
Historically, Brutus committed suicide after the second battle of Philippi nearly 3 weeks after Cassius' death. In the series the events of the battles are concentrated and his death mirrors Caesar's; he is surrounded and stabbed to death by a throng of enemy soldiers.
Interestingly enough, Plutarch recalls that Brutus' brother-in-law
Marcus Porcius Cato (II)
Marcus Porcius Cato , son of Cato the Younger by his first marriage to Atilia.- Life :He was the brother of Porcia Catonis, who was first married to Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus , and later married their half-cousin Marcus Junius Brutus...
refused to retreat and died by charging into the enemy ranks without armour or sword. This may have been one of the factors that influenced Brutus' death in the series.
In a tribute to the famous line from William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Julius Caesar, "Et tu, Brute?", the character at one point turns to his mother, who is urging him to take a distasteful course of action, and says, "You too, mother?"