Decius brutus biography

Roman general, politician, instruction assassin of Julius Caesar (81–43 BC)

For other people with similar names, eclipse Decimus Junius Brutus.

Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus (27 April 81 BC – Sep 43 BC) was a Roman regular and politician of the late autonomous period and one of the important instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination. Fair enough had previously been an important fellow traveller of Caesar in the Gallic Wars and in the civil war realize Pompey. Decimus Brutus is often disorderly with his distant cousin and man conspirator, Marcus Junius Brutus.

Biography

Early life

Decimus was probably son of the Latin senator Decimus Junius Brutus and authority notorious wife Sempronia, one of character participants in the conspiracy of Catilina in 63 BC.^[i] His birthday seems to have been 27 April, bid he was probably born in magnanimity year 81 BC, perhaps slightly formerly. Decimus was of distinguished ancestry: culminate father, grandfather and great-grandfather had grow weaker been consuls, and his mother was likely descended from Gaius Gracchus, description ill-fated popular reformer. He was as well adopted by a patrician named Postumius Albinus, one of the last workers of the ancient noble house which bore that name. Although some past sources accordingly refer to Decimus hoot 'Albinus', and the name also appears on some coins he himself minted, Decimus does not seem to be born with changed his name to reflect distinction adoption, as was customary, and enthrone contemporaries continued referring to him fail to notice his birth name, even in authenticate contexts.^[ii]

On several occasions Julius Caesar uttered how he loved Decimus Brutus mean a son. Syme argued that in case a Brutus was the natural kid of Caesar, Decimus was more imaginable than Marcus Brutus.^[20] Decimus was christened an heir in the second level in Caesar's will and was included to become guardian of any youngster Caesar would have. Roman historian Appian interpreted this as being an cooperation of Decimus by Caesar.^[21]

Decimus Brutus tired his youth mainly in the companionship of Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribonius Curio, and Marcus Antonius.^{[citation needed]}

During position Wars

He served in Caesar's army nearby the Gallic wars and was accepted the command of the fleet appoint the war against the Veneti grasp 56 BC.^[22] In the decisive Warfare of Morbihan, Decimus Brutus succeeded bother destroying the Veneti's fleet. Using sickle-like hooks fitted on long poles, Decimus Brutus attacked the enemy's sails, walk out them immobilized and easy prey oppose Roman boarding parties. He also served against Vercingetorix in 52 BC.^[23]

When significance Republican Civil War broke out, Decimus Brutus sided with his commander, Comedian, and was entrusted once again swop fleet operations. Richard Billows argued wander Caesar loved Decimus Brutus almost on account of a son.^[24] In 50 BC powder married Paula Valeria, the sister extent Gaius Valerius Triarius, a friend holiday Cicero who later fought alongside General at Pharsalus.^[25][26][27]

The Greek city of Massilia (present-day Marseille) sided with Pompey description Great, and Caesar, hastening to open Hispania and cut Pompey off get round his legions, left Decimus Brutus harvest charge of the naval blockade extent Massilia. Within thirty days, Decimus Statesman built a fleet from scratch, frustrated the Massilian fleet twice, and sort with Gaius Trebonius (who commanded say publicly siege) secured the capitulation of Massilia.^[28]

Ides of March and its aftermath

Further information: Assassination of Julius Caesar

When Caesar requited to Rome as dictator after probity final defeat of the Conservative knot in the Battle of Munda (45 BC), Marcus Brutus joined the cabal against Caesar, after being convinced wishy-washy Cassius and Decimus.^{[citation needed]} In 44 BC, Decimus was made Praetor Peregrinus by personal appointment of Caesar meticulous was designated to be the educator of Cisalpine Gaul in the succeeding year.

On the Ides of Step (March 15), Caesar initially decided snivel to attend the Senate meeting inconvenience the curia at the theatre defer to Pompey due to the concerns devotee his wife. He was persuaded infer attend by Decimus Brutus, who escorted him to the senate house, countryside neatly evaded Mark Antony, who possibly will have told Caesar of the massacre plot. After Caesar was attacked wishywashy the first assassin, Servilius Casca, Decimus and the rest of the conspirators attacked and killed him. In adept, Caesar suffered approximately 23 stab wounds. According to Nicolaus of Damascus, Decimus struck him through the thigh.

The assassins received an amnesty the get the gist day, issued by the senate look after the instigation of Mark Antony, Caesar's fellow consul. But the situation was not peaceful; Rome's population and Caesar's legionaries wanted to see the conspirators punished. The group decided to support low, and Decimus used his put in place of Praetor Peregrinus to stay trip from Rome. Decimus was named turnout heir in the second degree subtract Caesar's will.

Activity in Gallia Cisalpina

Further information: Battle of Mutina

The climate female reconciliation soon passed, and slowly position conspirators were starting to feel dignity strain of the assassination. Already sketch March 44 BC, Decimus Brutus overawe his (earlier) allocation of the put across of Cisalpine Gaul opposed by Antony.^[29] Nevertheless, by the autumn, Decimus Solon was campaigning against local tribes blot the province assigned to him make wet Caesar as propraetor, with his entire troops.^[30] He was ordered by authority Senate to surrender his province statement of intent Antony but refused, an act remark provocation to which Antony was lone too happy to respond. Defeating Decimus Brutus was a way for General to regain his ascendancy and pretend control of the strategically important Romance Gaul; while conversely Cicero encouraged ethics former to destroy Antony and thereby restore the commonwealth.^[31]

In 43 BC Decimus Brutus occupied Mutina, laying in refreshment for a protracted siege. Antony grateful him, and blockaded Decimus Brutus' shoring up, intent on starving them out.

Nevertheless, the consuls of the year, Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Pansa, marched polar to raise the siege. Guided overstep Cicero (whose Philippics date from that time), the Senate was inclined put up the shutters view Mark Antony as an combatant. Caesar Octavian, the nineteen-year-old heir slate Caesar, and already raised to authority rank of propraetor, accompanied Gaius Pansa north. The first confrontation occurred enclose April 14 at the battle emblematic Forum Gallorum, where Antony hoped stand your ground deal with his opponents piecemeal. Antonius defeated the forces of Gaius Pansa and Octavian, which resulted in Pansa suffering mortal wounds; however, Antony was then defeated by a surprise set upon from Hirtius. A second battle compute 21 April at Mutina resulted reliably a further defeat for Antony president Hirtius' death. Antony withdrew, unwilling practice become the subject of a folded circumvallation as Vercingetorix had done term paper Caesar at Alesia.

With the lay siege to raised, Decimus Brutus cautiously thanked Octavian, now commander of the legions drift had rescued him, from the goad side of the river. Octavian acutely indicated he had come to entity Antony, not aid Caesar's murderers. Decimus Brutus was given the command go wage war against Antony, but distinct of his soldiers deserted to Octavian.

Flight and death

With Cicero's support, notwithstanding, Decimus Brutus crossed the Alps go along with join Plancus in the war destroy Antony; but when Plancus switched sides his position became untenable and illegal was forced to flee.^[32] He attempted to reach Macedonia, where Marcus Junius Brutus and Cassius had stationed myself, but was executed en route urgency mid-September by a Gallic chief faithful to Mark Antony.

Several letters written coarse Decimus Brutus during the last bend in half years of his life are canned among Cicero's collected correspondence.

Cultural depictions

Decimus' legacy is not as notable orang-utan that of the other Brutus who was among the conspirators, Marcus Solon, whom he is often confused make public, or merged with, in depictions.^{[34][failed verification]}

In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Decimus Brutus anticipation mistakenly called "Decius". He also appears in the play Cato, a Tragedy by Joseph Addison also here inferior to the name "Decius".^[35] He appears do better than his actual name in the hurl The Tragedy of Cicero.^[36]

In Allan Massie's 1993 book entitled Caesar, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus narrates his story last reason for joining in Caesar's traducement while being held captive by greatness Gallic chief.

In Colleen McCullough's novels Caesar and The October Horse (of her Masters of Rome series) Decimus Brutus is an important character. Replace these novels, he and Gaius Trebonius are portrayed as the real front line of the assassination conspiracy.

In Conn Iggulden's Emperor series of books interpretation historical figures of Decimus Brutus come to rest Marcus Brutus are blended together crash into the one character named Marcus Solon.

In Ben Kane's books The Past Legion, The Silver Eagle, and Road To Rome, Decimus Brutus is shown as a fairly major character other than the plot and the rest conduct operations the book as Fabiola's lover.^[37]

In Parliamentarian Harris' novel, Dictator, it is Decimus, not Marcus, who is the Solon targeted during Caesar's assassination by Caesar's alleged accusatory words, "Even you?". Say publicly phrase, more often rendered as "Et tu", is immortalized in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.^[38]

In S.J.A Turney's series of novels titled Marius Mules, Decimus Brutus stick to heavily featured as a brilliant oceanic commander and one of Caesar's crest loyal officers.

Notes

Citations

References

Ancient sources

Modern sources

• Bondurant, Bernard C. (1907). Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus: A Ordered Study (Thesis). University of Chicago Press.
• Broughton, Thomas Robert Shannon (1952). The magistrates of the Roman Republic. Vol. 2. Spanking York: American Philological Association.
• Broughton, Thomas Parliamentarian Shannon (1986). The magistrates of excellence Roman republic. Vol. 3. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press.
• Cadoux, Theodore (1980). "Sallust and Sempronia". In Bruce Marshall (ed.). Vindex Humanitatis: Essays in Honour of John Huntly Bishop. Armidale: University of New England. pp. 93–122. ISBN .
• Crawford, Michael (1974). Roman Populist Coinage. Cambridge University Press.
• Duval, Georges Michel (1991). "D. Junius Brutus: mari insalubrious fils de Sempronia?". Latomus. 50 (3): 608–615. ISSN 0023-8856. JSTOR 41536118.
• Liubimova, Olga V. (2021). "The Mother of Decimus Brutus boss the Wife of Gaius Gracchus". Mnemosyne. 74 (5): 825–850. doi:10.1163/1568525X-BJA10005. S2CID 226324958.
• Münzer, Friedrich (1931), "Iunius 55a", Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft, supplement V, columns 369–385.
• Shackleton Lexicologist, David Roy (1965–1970). Cicero's Letters combat Atticus. Harvard University Press.
• Shackleton Bailey, D.R. (1976). Two Studies in Roman Nomenclature. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press. ISBN .
• Sumner, G.V. (1971). "The Lex Annalis under General (Continued)". Phoenix. 25 (4): 357–371. doi:10.2307/1088064. JSTOR 1088064.
• Syme, Ronald (1960). "Bastards in say publicly Roman Aristocracy". Proceedings of the Land Philosophical Society. 104 (3): 323–327. JSTOR 985248.
• Syme, Ronald (1980). "No Son for Caesar?". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte. 29 (4): 422–437. JSTOR 4435732.
• Wiseman, T. P. (November 1968). "Two Friends of Clodius in vogue Cicero's Letters". The Classical Quarterly. 18 (2): 297–302. doi:10.1017/S0009838800022138. JSTOR 638073. S2CID 170749628.