"Et tu, Brute?" The famous Shakespeare line from Julius Caesar is how most of us know Marcus Brutus. Well, the ancient biographer Plutarch wrote an entire life of Brutus. Turns out, Marcus Brutus was a remarkable man living in remarkable times. Here are several quotes from Plutarch's text along with my comments.
"Brutus having to the goodness of his disposition added the improvements of learning and the study of philosophy and having stirred up his natural parts, of themselves grave and gentle, by applying himself to business and public affairs, seems to have been of a temper exactly framed by virtue." ---------- What praise from Plutarch the philosopher - describing Brutus as a man good by nature and a lover of wisdom who is both serious and kind in the political sphere. The ideal Roman!
But bad time to be a Roman since it's civil war: Caesar vs. Pompey. We read: "Thinking it his duty to prefer the interest of the public to his own private feelings, and judging Pompey's to be the better cause . . . Brutus placed himself under Pompey's command." ---------- Years ago, Pompey had Brutus's father murdered, but Brutus was able to put aside his private feelings and, placing his country first, supported Pompey. And Plutarch writes how "Caesar had so great a regard for Brutus that he ordered his commanders by no means to kill him in the battle, but to spare him, if possible, and bring him safe to him." Now that speaks volumes of Brutus's character - even in a civil war, each leader wanted him on his side. And, to thicken the plot, Caesar knew Brutus was probably his son.
As we all know from our ancient history, Caesar wins and brings Brutus over to his side. But, alas, Brutus can see Caesar is an unjust tyrant and, along with his friend Cassius and other high-ranking Romans, Brutus make plans to assassinate Caesar. In his planning, Brutus consults an Epicurean. "Statilius the Epicurean held that, to bring himself into troubles and danger upon the account of evil or foolish men did not become a man that had any wisdom or discretion." ---------- Epicureans wanted little to do with the public life, especially if one has to deal with vicious fools. As it turned out, perhaps this was a bit of Epicurean wisdom worth heeding. (I had to throw this in since I am drawn personally to the philosophy of Epicurus).
Caesar is assassinated but Brutus and Cassius have Caesar's nephew to deal with, a 20 year old, also named Caesar. As per usual in the ancient world, this means war. After many battles all over the Roman empire, it all comes down to one big final clash. Now, as it turns out, the navy fighting on behalf of Brutus defeated Caesar's fleet. If Brutus knew about this critical navel success, he would have had no need to rush into the grand finale of a land battle. Plutarch writes: "But it seems, the state of Rome not enduring any longer to be governed by many, but necessarily requiring a monarchy, the divine power, that it might remove out of the way the only man that was able to resist him that could control the empire, cut off his good fortune from coming to the ears of Brutus. ---------- Ah, Plutarch was not only a biographer but a priest at Delphi. In Plutarch's worldview, no matter how virtuous and right-thinking a man may be, he will not succeed if the gods have other plans.
Surrounded by Caesar's army, Brutus does the honorable Roman thing - he has himself put to death. But before this, Brutus says: "He found an infinite satisfaction in this, that none of his friends had been false to him; that as for fortune, he was angry with that only for his country's sake; as for himself, he thought himself much more happy than they who had overcome, not only as he had been a little time ago, but even now in his present condition since he was leaving behind him such a reputation of his virtue as none of the conquerors with all their arms and riches should ever be able to acquire." ---------- Spoken like a true Greco-Roman philosopher! Brutus valued friendship and a reputation for personal virtue above all else. In this he joins Cicero, Seneca and the future great Roman emperor/philosopher Marcus Aurelius.
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