The Original Brutus and the Founding of the Roman Republic

A Bust of Brutus

The Roman historian Livy tells us that before the republic, Rome was a kingdom, ruled by a tyrant monarch named Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, also known as Tarquin the Proud, around 500 B.C. He is said to have lied, connived, and assassinated his way onto the throne, and when there would often execute his opponents without true legal proceedings. Now Lucius Junius Brutus, or as I like to call him the "original" Brutus, was the nephew of this King, as his mother was the king's sister. He already disliked the king, as one of the important men executed was Brutus' own brother. In order to escape his own death, Brutus apparently pretended to be very stupid and slow, and so allayed any suspicion on himself. Now, there are a few different stories of how this went down, but anyway King Tarquin's son Sextus Tarquinius raped Lucretia, the wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus a relative and friend of Brutus. The next day, she gathered her husband, father, and Brutus and told them what happened and asked them for a vow of vengeance. She then stabbed herself with a concealed knife. Brutus took the dagger and swore an oath to exile the Tarquin family from Rome, he also made everyone present swear the same. Brutus brought the body to the forum and began recruiting for a revolutionary army. He also called many of the leading political members of Rome and began an authoritative legislative assembly. He leveled crimes against the Tarquins such as murder, rape, tyranny, forced labor for citizens. A debate began upon the form of government that would be instituted, and it was decided that a Republic would be formed with two elected officials taking the place of the king. A general election was held among the citizens of Rome, and the Republic was confirmed; the King and family left Rome altogether. Lucius Junius Brutus served as the first of the two Consuls of Rome, and so the Republic was born.