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| Toynbee "Bruto_1" |
Lucius Junius Brutus, son of Marcus Junius and of
Tarquinia, sister of Tarquinius Superbus. His elder brother was
murdered by Tarquinius, and Lucius only escaped his brother's fate
by feigning idiocy, whence he was surnamed Brutus. After the rape
of Lucretia by Sextus Tarquinius, and her consequent suicide
[Lucrezia], B. roused thc Romans to expel the
Tarquins; and upon
their banishment he was elected first consul with Tarquinius
Collatinus. While consul he proved his unflinching patriotism by
putting to death his two sons, who had attempted to restore the
Tarquins. He fell in battle shortly after, fighting against
Aruns,
son of Tarquinius.
D. places B. in Limbo among the great heroes of antiquity,
describing him as quel Bruto che cacciò Tarquino,
[Inf. iv. 127]
[Limbo]; he is mentioned, as first Consul and founder of
the
Roman Republic,
Conv. IV. v. 12; as having sacrificed his sons on
the altar of duty,
Conv. IV. v. 14; D. refers to Livy's account
(ii. 4) of the latter incident, and quotes {Aen. vi. 821-2},
Mon. II. v. 13.
©Oxford University Press 1968. From A Dictionary of Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante by Paget Toynbee
(1968) by permission of Oxford University Press