Brutus: The Noble Conspirator

Written by Kathryn Tempest

Narrated by Jennifer M. Dixon

Conspirator and assassin, philosopher and statesman, promoter of peace and commander in war, Marcus Brutus (ca. 85-42 BC) was a controversial and enigmatic man even to those who knew him. His leading role in the murder of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, 44 BC, immortalized his name forever, but the verdict on his act remains out to this day. Was Brutus wrong to kill his friend and benefactor, or was he right to place his duty to country ahead of personal obligations?

In this comprehensive and stimulating biography Kathryn Tempest delves into contemporary sources to bring to light the personal and political struggles Brutus faced. As the details are revealed-from his own correspondence with Cicero, from the perceptions of his peers, and from the Roman aristocratic values and concepts that held sway in his time-Brutus emerges from legend, revealed to us more surely than ever before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Nov 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781681688688

Reviews for Brutus

[Igor Murawski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A comprehensive look at a complicated personality and background which led to the civil war following the assassination of Julius Caesar. Maybe it could have been a more lively read but then again, it's a scholarly work, not a novel.

[drmaf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brutus has gone down in history as the ultimate traitor, but this painstakingly researched book shows that Brutus' motivation for the murder of the man who was effectively his foster father is much more complicated than popular history would have it. We know so little about Brutus, really, just fragments of his life are recorded by writers such as Cicero and Plutarch, as well as a few of his letters to Cicero giving his own point of view, that making judgements about his motivations is a fraught practice. Nevertheless, Tempest gives as complete a picture as is possible from 2 millennia away, especially given that even to his contemporaries Brutus was somewhat of a mystery. Tempest puts much of his motivation down to his extreme awareness of his family history, two of his ancestors were famous for having dispelled tyrants, and Brutus was intensely aware of the pressure on him to live up to the family tradition. Not an easy read much of this book, the actual assassination itself is only briefly covered, much of the text is a rather dry dissertation on the motivations and actions of the conspirators before and after, but it is worth perservering with because Tempest gives an excellent account of the machinations in Rome immediately after the assassination, when confusion clearly reigned and frightened people clearly had no idea which way to turn. The long, slow fallout which eventually leads to Brutus and Cassius facing Antony and Octavian in battle at Phillippi is then covered in great detail, ending with Brutus' dramatic suicide. I found this book an amazing read, others less interested in the minutiae of history may struggle, but its certainly a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the tortured history of the last years of the Roman Republic.