“It was either godly or beastly.”

The ambassadors who had been sent to Rome on the pretence of asking for money remained in the city for a while and managed to corrupt some of the nobles, among whom were the sons of Brutus, whom they persuaded to engage in treason. Therefore, as they persuaded them, it seemed right to undertake an oath, and after all of this they returned home. The house was deserted and dark. A certain slave named Vindicius escaped their notice within the house, not by contrivance but by chance. As he lay hidden, he was a witness to their deeds and plans, which involved the murder of the consuls and the surrender of the city; they had related these intentions to Tarquinius through the ambassadors. Once the conspirators had left the house, the slave left the house and related everything. Those who had planned the treachery were rounded up, and their letters were attended to. They were led to the forum and placed against Vindicius. They recognized their letters. Many stood in dejection and silence, but Brutus called each of his sons by name and asked, “You do not make any defense against the charge?” They held their silence, so Brutus turned to the officers and said, “The rest of the business is yours.” They took the youths and beat them to death with their clubs. Although some of the others felt pity for his sons in their suffering, Brutus did not divert his eyes, nor did he display any grief from the beginning until the end, when the executioners removed their heads with an axe. It is not easy either to praise or to blame this action. Either the sublimity of virtue had prompted him to apathy, or the greatness of the suffering drove him to insensibility. Neither of these things is inconsiderable or human – rather, it was either godly or beastly.

Οἱ πρέσβεις δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν χρημάτων προφάσει τῇ ῾Ρώμῃ ἐνδιατρίβοντες ἴσχυσαν διαφθεῖραι τῶν ἐπισήμων τινάς, μεθ’ ὧν καὶ δύο τοῦ Βρούτου παῖδας ἔπεισαν ἐν τῇ προδοσίᾳ γενέσθαι. ὡς οὖν συνέπεισαν τὰ μειράκια, ἔδοξε καὶ ὅρκον προβῆναι, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰς οἰκίαν συνῆλθον. ἦν δὲ ὁ οἶκος ὑπέρημος καὶ σκοτώδης. ἔλαθεν οὖν ἔνδον ὢν οὐκ ἐκ προνοίας, ἀλλὰ τυχαίως οἰκέτης ὄνομα Οὐινδίκιος, καὶ κατακρυφθεὶς ἐκεῖ θεατής τε τῶν δρωμένων ἦν καὶ τῶν βεβουλευμένων ἐπήκοος· ἅπερ ἦσαν τοὺς ὑπάτους ἀνελεῖν καὶ τὴν πόλιν προδοῦναι· καὶ ταῦτα τῷ Ταρκυνίῳ διὰ τῶν πρέσβεων ἐπεστάλκασιν. ἀπελθόντων δὲ τοῦ οἰκήματος τῶν συνωμοτῶν, ἐξελθὼν ὁ οἰκέτης ἅπαντα κατεμήνυσε. καὶ οἵ τε τὴν προδοσίαν μελετήσαντες συνελήφθησαν, καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐκομίσθησαν· καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν προαχθέντων αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν Οὐίνδικα παρεστήσαντο. τά τε γράμματα ἀνεγνώσθησαν· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἐν κατηφείᾳ ἦσαν καὶ σιωπῇ, ὁ δὲ Βροῦτος ὀνομαστὶ τῶν υἱέων ἑκάτερον προσειπών “οὐκ ἀπολογεῖσθε” ἔφη “πρὸς τὴν κατηγορίαν;” τῶν δὲ σιωπώντων στραφεὶς πρὸς τοὺς ὑπηρέτας “ὑμέτερον” εἶπεν “ἤδη λοιπὸν τὸ ἔργον.” οἱ δὲ συλλαβόντες τοὺς νεανίσκους ῥάβδοις κατέξαινον. καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπικλωμένων τοῖς πάσχουσιν ὁ πατὴρ οὔτ’ ἀλλαχόσε τὰς ὄψεις ἀπήγαγεν οὔτε μὴν οἴκτου τι ἐνεδείξατο μέχρι πελέκει τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν παίδων ἀπέκοψαν. τοῦτο δὲ οὔτ’ ἐπαινεῖν οὔτε ψέγειν ἐστὶ ῥᾴδιον· ἢ γὰρ ἀρετῆς ὕψος εἰς ἀπάθειαν ἐξέστησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ἢ πάθους μέγεθος εἰς ἀναλγησίαν· οὐδέτερον δὲ μικρὸν οὐδ’ ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλ’ ἢ θεῖον ἢ θηριῶδες.

Brutus denounces his colleague Collatinus as a traitor:

Tarquinius Superbus, then, lost his throne after tyrannizing over the people for twenty years. The Romans then bent their favor toward Brutus and selected him as their leader. Lest his leadership should look like regal monarchy, they elected Collatinus Tarquinius, the husband of Lucretia, as his co-ruler, because he was known to hate the tyrants due to the rape of his wife. Some ambassadors from Tarquinius came to Rome to discuss terms of his return. They accomplished nothing, but some other ambassadors came from Tarquinius saying that he was willing to abandon his regal title and desist from the war if the Romans would pay to him, his family, and his attendants a sum which would allow them to live comfortably through life in exile. The resolution of many people was swayed by this, including that of Brutus’ colleague Collatinus. Therefore, Brutus ran from the senate house into the forum, and denounced Collatinus as a traitor who delighted in war and the profits of tyranny.

῾Ο μὲν οὖν Ταρκύνιος πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι τυραννήσας ἐνιαυτοὺς οὕτως ἐξέπεσε τῆς ἀρχῆς, οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι δὲ πρὸς τὸν Βροῦτον ἀπέκλιναν καὶ αὐτὸν εἵλοντο ἄρχοντα. ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἡ μοναρχία βασιλεία δοκῇ, καὶ συνάρχοντα αὐτῷ ἐψηφίσαντο τὸν τῆς Λουκρητίας ἐκείνης ἄνδρα τὸν Κολλατῖνον Ταρκύνιον, ὡς ἀπεχθῶς πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους πιστευόμενον ἔχειν διὰ τὴν βίαν τῆς γυναικός. ἐκ δέ γε Ταρκυνίου πρέσβεις εἰς ῾Ρώμην ἧκον περὶ καθόδου διαλεγόμενοι· ὡς δ’ οὐδὲν ἤνυον, ἕτεροι αὖθις ἐπέστησαν, ἀφίστασθαι τῆς βασιλείας καὶ παύειν τὸν πόλεμον λέγοντες τὸν Ταρκύνιον, εἰ τὰ χρήματα δοθεῖεν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις, ἀφ’ ὧν διαβιώσονται φεύγοντες. ἐπικλωμένων δὲ πολλῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ Κολλατίνου τοῦ τῷ Βρούτῳ συνάρχοντος, εἰς ἀγορὰν ὁ Βροῦτος ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου ἐξέδραμε, προδότην τὸν Κολλατῖνον ἀποκαλῶν, πολέμου καὶ τυραννίδος ἀφορμὰς χαριζόμενον.

Brutus and Publius Valerius rouse the people against the tyrant:

As they heard and saw these things, they grieved exceedingly. Brutus employed Publius as his companion and as one who was eager for the deed; they showed Lucretia’s body laid out to many of the people, and announcing what had happened to the rest they roused a hatred against the tyrants. They planned to accept Tarquinius no longer. Having done all of these things and entrusted the management of the city to others, Brutus set out on horse to the army, and he persuaded the soldiers to choose the same course of action as the people had. Tarquinius, when he learned about what had happened and rushed in haste back to the city, was driven away and went to Tarquinii with his children and other followers, with the exception of Tullia who, as the story goes, killed herself.

᾿Ακούσαντες δ’ ἐκεῖνοι ταῦτα καὶ θεασάμενοι ὑπερήλγησαν. καὶ τῷ Ποπλίῳ συμβούλῳ καὶ προθύμῳ πρὸς τοὔργον ὁ Βροῦτος χρησάμενος τήν τε γυναῖκα πολλοῖς τῶν τοῦ δήμου κειμένην ὑπέδειξε, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς λοιποὺς δημηγορήσας τὸ πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους μῖσος ἐκφῆναι πεποίηκε· καὶ μηκέτι δέξασθαι συνέθεντο τὸν Ταρκύνιον. ταῦτα δὲ πράξας, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐπιτρέψας τοῖς ἄλλοις, αὐτὸς πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐξιππάσατο, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ δήμῳ συνέπεισε καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ψηφίσασθαι. ὁ δέ γε
Ταρκύνιος τὰ συμβεβηκότα μαθὼν καὶ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἐπειχθεὶς ἀπεώσθη, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ταρκυνησίους μετὰ τῶν παίδων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁμοφρόνων κατέφυγε, μόνης τῆς Τουλλίας, ὡς λόγος, ἑαυτὴν ἀνελούσης.

Sextus Tarquinius’ violation of Lucretia hastens the expulsion of the tyrants:

“This Brutus put down the Tarquins, alleging as his cause both the rape of Lucretia, and that otherwise the Tarquins were hated because of their tyranny and violence. Lucretia was the daughter of Lucretius Spurius, a man of the senate, and she had married Collatinus Tarquinius; she was famed for both her beauty and her wise modesty. Sextus, the son of Tarquinius Superbus, formed a desire to violate her, being not so much desirous of her beauty as he was eager for her chaste reputation. Waiting for Collatinus to be away from the house, he came to her at night and dismissed her guards as though she were his wife. First he attempted to sleep with her by using words, and then he employed violence. When he failed to achieve his purpose, he threatened to cut her down. When it was clear that she cared naught for death, he threatened to lay a slave beside her and kill both; he would then tell the tale that he had found them sleeping together and slain them. This threat terrified Lucretia, and she feared that she might be believed to have done such a thing, so she consented. After being violated, she placed a dagger under her pillow, and sent for both her husband and father; Brutus and Publius Valerius followed them. Through tears and wailing, she related the whole affair. Then she added, “I will now do what is proper for me; if you are men, you will avenge me, free yourselves from servitude, and show those tyrants what a sort of wife, and what sort of men they abused.” As she said all this, she immediately drew out the dagger and killed herself.”

Οὗτος ὁ Βροῦτος τοὺς Ταρκυνίους κατέλυσεν, αἰτίαν τὸ περὶ τὴν Λουκρητίαν συμβεβηκὸς προστησάμενος, καὶ ἄλλως μισουμένους παρὰ πάντων διὰ τὸ τυραννικόν τε καὶ βίαιον. ἡ δὲ Λουκρητία θυγάτηρ μὲν ἦν Λουκρητίου Σπουρίου, ἀνδρὸς τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου ἑνός, γαμετὴ δὲ Κολλατίνου Ταρκυνίου τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ἐπί τε κάλλει καὶ σωφροσύνῃ τυγχάνουσα περιβόητος. ταύτην Σέξτος ὁ τοῦ Ταρκυνίου υἱὸς αἰσχῦναι σπούδασμα ἔθετο, οὐχ οὕτω τοῦ κάλλους αὐτῆς ἐρασθεὶς ὅσον τῇ ἐπὶ τῷ σώφρονι δόξῃ ἐπιβουλεύων αὐτῆς. τηρήσας οὖν τὸν Κολλατῖνον τῆς οἰκίας ἀποδημοῦντα, νυκτὸς ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὡς πρὸς γαμετὴν συγγενοῦς κατέλυσε παρ’ αὐτῇ. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν λόγοις ἐπείρα συγγενέσθαι αὐτῇ, εἶτα καὶ βίαν προσῆγεν· ὡς δ’ οὐδὲν ἐπέραινεν, ἀποσφάξειν ἠπείλησεν· ὡς δὲ καὶ τοῦ θανάτου κατωλιγώρει, δοῦλον παρακατακλινεῖν αὐτῇ ἐπηπείλησε καὶ ἄμφω κτανεῖν καὶ λόγον διαδώσειν ὡς εὑρὼν αὐτοὺς συγκαθεύδοντας ἔκτεινε. τοῦτο τὴν Λουκρητίαν ἐτάραξε, καὶ φοβηθεῖσα μὴ πιστευθείη ταῦθ’ οὕτω γενέσθαι, ἐνέδωκε. καὶ μοιχευθεῖσα ξιφίδιον ὑπὸ τὸ προσκεφάλαιον ἔθετο, καὶ μεταπεμψαμένη τόν τε ἄνδρα καὶ τὸν πατέρα, συνεπομένων αὐτοῖς τοῦ τε Βρούτου καὶ Ποπλίου Οὐαλερίου, κατεδάκρυσε καὶ στενάξασα τὸ δρᾶμα πᾶν διηγήσατο· εἶτα ἐπήγαγε “καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν τὰ πρέποντα ἐμαυτῇ ποιήσω, ὑμεῖς δὲ εἴπερ ἄνδρες ἐστέ, τιμωρήσατε μὲν ἐμοί, ἐλευθερώθητε δὲ αὐτοί, καὶ δείξατε τοῖς τυράννοις οἵων ὑμῶν ὄντων οἵαν γυναῖκα ὕβρισαν.” τοιαῦτα εἰποῦσα εὐθὺς τὸ ξιφίδιον φελκύσασα κατέκτεινεν ἑαυτήν.

A Severed Head Appears; A Trick is Attempted; Rome Forms Great Hopes

He constructed a temple on the Tarpeian Hill according to the wish of his father. As the foundation was laid down, the earth split apart and the head of a recently deceased man appeared still full of blood. The Romans therefore sent to an Etruscan soothsayer to inquire about the meaning of the portent. The soothsayer, with the aim of turning this to the advantage of the Etruscans, drew out a diagram upon the earth, in which he drew the situation of Rome and the Tarpeian Hill. He planned to ask the ambassadors, “Is that Rome? Is that the Hill? Was the head found there?” so that the ambassadors, suspecting nothing, would agree to these statements and the power of the portent would be transferred to the ground on which it was drawn. Thus the soothsayer had planned it, but the ambassadors learned the plan from his son, and so when they were asked these questions, responded “Rome is not there, but in Latium, and the Tarpeian Hill is in the city of the Romans, and the head was found on that hill.” Thus, the soothsayer’s trick having been avoided, they learned the truth about the portent and announced to their fellow citizens that the Romans would be the strongest and would rule over many. From this, great hope sprung up in their hearts. Thereupon the rock’s name was changed to the Capitoline, for in the Roman language ‘capita’* signifies ‘head’ (kephale).

Τὸν δὲ νεὼν τὸν ἐν τῷ Ταρπηίῳ ὄρει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς εὐχὴν ᾠκοδόμει. τῆς δὲ γῆς εἰς τὴν τῶν θεμελίων καταβολὴν ἀναρρηγνυμένης, ἀνδρὸς νεοθνῆτος κεφαλὴ ἀνεφάνη ἔναιμος ἔτι. ἔπεμψαν οὖν ῾Ρωμαῖοι πρὸς ἄνδρα Τυρσηνὸν τερατοσκόπον ἐρωτῶντες τὸ διὰ τοῦ φανέντος δηλούμενον. ὁ δὲ τὸ σημεῖον εἰς τὴν Τυρσηνίδα μεταθεῖναι μηχανησάμενος, διάγραμμα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐποιήσατο, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τήν τε τῆς ῾Ρώμης θέσιν ἐντείνας καὶ τὸ Ταρπήιον ὄρος, ἔμελλε τοὺς πρέσβεις ἀνερέσθαι “ἡ ῾Ρώμη αὕτη ἐστί; τὸ ὄρος τοῦτό ἐστιν; ἡ κεφαλὴ ἐνταῦθα εὑρέθη;” ἵν’ ἐκείνων μηδὲν ποτοπησάντων καὶ συμφησάντων ἡ δύναμις τοῦ σημείου εἰς τὸ χωρίον ἐν ᾧ διεγέγραπτο μετασταίη. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα ἐτεχνάσατο, οἱ δὲ πρέσβεις παρὰ τοῦ υἱέος ἐκείνου μαθόντες τὸ τέχνασμα, ἐρωτώμενοι “οὐκ ἐνταῦθα” εἶπον “οἰκεῖται ἡ ῾Ρώμη, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ Λατίῳ, καὶ τὸ ὄρος ἐν τῇ ῾Ρωμαίων ἐστί, καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐκείνῳ εὑρέθη.” οὕτω δὲ τῷ τερατοσκόπῳ διακρουσθέντος τοῦ μηχανήματος πᾶσαν ἐκεῖνοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔμαθον καὶ τοῖς πολίταις ἀνήγγειλαν ὅτι κράτιστοι ἔσονται καὶ πλείστων ἄρξουσιν. ἐλπὶς οὖν κἀκ τούτου αὐτοῖς προσεγένετο. κἀντεῦθεν τὸ ὄρος μετωνομάσθη παρ’ αὐτῶν Καπιτώλιον· καπίτα γὰρ τῇ ῾Ρωμαίων διαλέκτῳ ἡ κεφαλὴ ὀνομάζεται.

*Here, Zonaras translates the plural ‘capita’ as the singular ‘head;’ this is the sort of error which I feel compelled to correct when made by my students, but I will chalk this up to translators’ license on Zonaras’ part.