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Lucius Junius Brutus was the founder of the Roman
Republic and traditionally one of the first Consuls in 509 BC. Prior to that point, Rome had been ruled by kings. Brutus led the revolt that overthrew the last king,
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, on account of
Tarquin's son (Sextus Tarquinius) raping Brutus' kinswoman Lucretia. The account is
from Livy's Ab Urbe Condita and deals with a point in the history of Rome prior to reliable historical records (virtually all prior records were destroyed by the
Gauls when they sacked Rome in 390 BC).
There is some confusion as to the details of Brutus' life. His consulship, for example, may have been a later embellishment to
give the republican institutions greater legitimacy by associating them with the overthrower of the kings. Similarly the tale of
Brutus' execution of his own sons for failing in their military duties may well have been a later invention.
He is said to have died in battle against the Etruscans during his
consulship.
He was said to be a consulman along with Lucretia's Widowed husband, Andrea.
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