Backstabber Report

Marcus Junius Brutus – The Most Famous Backstabber

Marcus Junius Brutus, more commonly referred to simply as, Brutus, thanks to William Shakespeare is naturally associated with being the greatest of all backstabbers by actually plunging a real knife into the back of Emperor Julius Caesar.

Caesar has always been one of the most controversial characters of history. His admirers have seen in him the defender of the rights of the people against an oligarchy. That he was gifted and versatile there can be little doubt. He excelled in war, in statesmanship, and in oratory.

When a conspiracy was formed against him, however, it was made up of his friends and protégés, among them Cimber, Casca, Cassius, and the reported leader, Marcus Junius Brutus. On Mar. 15 (the Ides of March), 44 BC, he was stabbed to death in the senate house. His friend, Brutus, thus became infamous by earning the distinction of being little more than the most recognized name of all the backstabbers that followed through history.

William Shakespeare immortalized the meaning of backstabbing friends by “quoting” Caesar as saying, “Et tu, Brutus?”. Caesar’s disbelief and bewilderment at his friend partaking in the assassination by asking, “And you, Brutus?”, as Brutus plunged his knife into Caesar’s back.

In hindsight, Caesar should have recognized Brutus as a backstabber years earlier.

When civil war broke out in 49 BC between Roman leaders Pompey and Caesar, Brutus followed the present leader of the Optimates, Pompey. When the Battle of Pharsalus began, Caesar ordered his officers to take Brutus prisoner if he gave himself up voluntarily, and if he persisted in fighting against capture, to let him alone and do him no violence. After the disaster of the battle of Pharsalus that saw the defeat of Pompey, Brutus wrote to Caesar with apologies and Caesar immediately forgave him. In his letter Brutus declared he was a strong supporter of democracy and continually pushed it throughout the letter. Caesar accepted him into his inner circle and made him governor of Gaul when he left for Africa in pursuit of Cato and Metellus Scipio. In 45 BC, Caesar nominated Brutus to serve as urban praetor for the following year.