# Brutus — Discourses on Livy character guide

> Brutus in Discourses on Livy by Niccolò Machiavelli.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Junius Brutus

**First appearance:** 0004-i

## Snapshot

The consul who executed his own sons for conspiring to restore the Tarquins, Machiavelli's emblem of severity required to preserve a young republic.

## Who they are

Junius Brutus founded the Republic and then, when his sons joined a plot to bring back the kings, watched them die by his own order rather than let family loyalty undermine the new order. Machiavelli treats this as the indispensable act of a founder: without such severity, free institutions cannot take root. His example frames the Discourses' argument that a republic must be willing to sacrifice private affection to public necessity.

## In the story

### [Book I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/book-i)

Junius Brutus; founder of the Roman Republic, noted for his severity in executing his own sons to maintain liberty.

### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/x)

Mentioned as Caesar's enemy, praised by historians who dared not criticize Caesar directly.

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvi)

His sons conspired against the newly free Roman republic because they missed the privileges they enjoyed under the kings; Machiavelli cites the necessity of eliminating such threats.

### [Chapter XVII: That a corrupt people obtaining freedom can hardly preserve it](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xvii)

First Brutus: expelled the Tarquins and established freedom; later Brutus: could not rouse the corrupt people to maintain freedom.

### [Book III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/book-iii)

Mentioned for his harsh justice in executing his sons to preserve the republic.

### [Chapter I: The Necessity of Renewal in Republics and Sects](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/i)

Mentioned as the father of Roman freedom and an example of a citizen whose actions reinforced the laws through the death of his sons.

### [Chapter II: That on occasion it is wise to feign folly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/ii)

Junius Brutus is the central example of feigning folly to overthrow the kings and free Rome. He pretended to be a fool to live securely and later used severity to maintain freedom.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/iii)

Cited as the model of necessary severity: he sat in judgment and witnessed the execution of his own sons to preserve Rome's freedom.

### [How an hereditary king may come to lose his kingdom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/v)

Junius Brutus, who together with Collatinus turned to the commons after the outrage on Lucretia, rather than to Tarquin, because Tarquin had already made himself a tyrant.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/vi)

Mentioned as a conspirator against Caesar, whose plot was nearly derailed by a false alarm.

### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/chapters/xviii)

Mentioned in the context of the Battle of Philippi, where his victory on one wing led to a mistaken belief of overall defeat.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/characters/brutus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/discourses_on_livy_se/characters