根据罗马关于建立罗马共和国的传说，卢修斯·朱尼乌斯·布鲁图斯（公元前6年）是最后一位罗马国王塔奎尼乌斯·苏伯斯（骄傲的塔奎因国王）的侄子。尽管他们有血缘关系，布鲁图斯还是领导了反抗国王的起义，并于公元前509年宣布罗马共和国成立。这场起义发生在塔昆国王外出（参加竞选）期间，以及国王的儿子强奸卢克雷蒂亚之后。正是这位堪称楷模的布鲁图斯对卢克雷蒂亚的耻辱做出了反应，第一个发誓要赶走塔昆一家。

" While they were overwhelmed with grief, Brutus drew the knife out of the wound, and, holding it up before him reeking with blood, said: 'By this blood, most pure before the outrage of a prince, I swear, and I call you, O gods, to witness my oath, that I will henceforth pursue Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, his wicked wife, and all their children, with fire, sword, and all other violent means in my power; nor will I ever suffer them or any other to reign at Rome.'" —Livy Book I.59

布鲁特斯驱逐了他的联合领事

当这些人完成政变后，布鲁图斯和卢克雷蒂亚的丈夫L.塔奎尼乌斯·科拉蒂努斯成为第一对罗马领事，新政府的新领导人。

仅仅除掉罗马最后一位伊特鲁里亚国王是不够的：布鲁图斯驱逐了整个塔昆家族。由于布鲁特斯与塔昆家族只有母亲一方的关系，这意味着，除其他外，他与塔昆家族没有共同的名字，因此他被排除在这个群体之外。然而，被驱逐的人包括他的共同领事/同谋L.Tarquinius Collatnus，他是强奸受害者Lucretia的丈夫。

" Brutus, according to a decree of the senate, proposed to the people, that all who belonged to the family of the Tarquins should be banished from Rome: in the assembly of centuries he elected Publius Valerius, with whose assistance he had expelled the kings, as his colleague." —Livy Book II.2

罗马美德与过剩

在以后的时期，罗马人会把这个时代看作是一个伟大美德的时代。手势，比如卢克雷蒂亚的自杀，在我们看来可能是极端的，但在罗马人看来却是高贵的，尽管在他与朱利叶斯·凯撒同时代的布鲁特斯传记中，普鲁塔克将这位祖传布鲁特斯带到了这一任务中。卢克雷蒂亚被认为是为数不多的具有女性美德的罗马女性之一。布鲁图斯是另一个美德的典范，他不仅和平地处理了君主制，并用一种同时避免专制问题和保持王权美德的制度取代了君主制——每年都在变化的双重执政。

" The first beginnings of liberty, however, one may date from this period, rather because the consular authority was made annual, than because of the royal prerogative was in any way curtailed. The first consuls kept all the privileges and outward signs of authority, care only being taken to prevent the terror appearing doubled, should both have the fasces at the same time." —Livy Book II.1

卢修斯·朱尼乌斯·布鲁图斯愿意为了罗马共和国的利益牺牲一切。布鲁特斯的儿子卷入了一场重建塔昆家族的阴谋。当布鲁特斯得知这一阴谋后，他处死了那些涉案人员，包括他的两个儿子。

卢修斯·朱尼乌斯·布鲁特斯之死

在塔尔奎因家族试图夺回罗马王位的过程中，在席尔瓦·阿尔西亚战役中，布鲁图斯和阿伦斯·塔尔奎尼乌斯相互厮杀。这意味着罗马共和国第一年的两位执政官都必须更换。据认为，这一年总共有5个。

" Brutus perceived that he was being attacked, and, as it was honourable in those days for the generals to personally engage in battle, he accordingly eagerly offered himself for combat. They charged with such furious animosity, neither of them heedful of protecting his own person, provided he could wound his opponent, that each, pierced through the buckler by his adversary's blow, fell from his horse in the throes of death, still transfixed by the two spears." —Livy Book II.6

布鲁塔克在卢修斯·朱尼乌斯·布鲁图斯身上

" Marcus Brutus was descended from that Junius Brutus to whom the ancient Romans erected a statue of brass in the capitol among the images of their kings with a drawn sword in his hand, in remembrance of his courage and resolution in expelling the Tarquins and destroying the monarchy. But that ancient Brutus was of a severe and inflexible nature, like steel of too hard a temper, and having never had his character softened by study and thought, he let himself be so far transported with his rage and hatred against tyrants, that, for conspiring with them, he proceeded to the execution even of his own sons." —Plutarch's Life of Brutus

来源

• 康奈尔，罗马的起源
• 朱迪思·德·卢斯的《罗马神话》；《古典世界》第98卷，第2期（2005年冬季），第202-205页。