Ep. 13. Brutus: Traitor to Caesar or Liberator of Rome?

Marcus Junius Brutus is a name that has come down through history as being synonymous with unexpected betrayal. Dante- in his Divine Comedy portrays Brutus as being in the lowest pit of the underworld. He was however a far more complex character, and even William Shakespeare, in his play The Death of Julius Caesar, portrays him as a man torn by his duty to his country and his duty to his friend and benefactor - Caesar. Brutus' monologues and conversations are by far the longest of all the characters - which suggests that the play was really about Brutus, not Caesar. So Brutus is a figure of history that has been twisted and manipulated by emperors and kings to justify their own power, and also by democratic republics as a martyr to the ideals of freedom. But the real story of Brutus is more complex, more human and deserving of a deeper exploration.
Film montage references are listed in the credit roll at the end of the video.
#brutus #Rome #Caesar.

02:28 Background
10:52 Key Players / 1st Triumvirate
41:52 Marc Antony's "Funeral Speech" (Shakespeare)
47:36 Decimus Junius Brutus
55:10 Aftermath 
1:00:00 Second Triumvirate
1:03:00 End of the Republic
1:05:18 Brutus Speech at Caesar's funeral (Shakespeare)

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