Marcus Junius Brutus

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"My brothers are eager for blood, but I am not certain I can spill it."

―Brutus, 44 BCE.

Marcus Junius Brutus (85 BCE – 42 BCE), also known simply as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic, and one of the earliest members of the Hidden Ones, which would later transform into the Assassin Brotherhood.

Most notably, Brutus held a leading role in the assassination conspiracy against the consul Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. He was also the first known human to discover the Colosseum Vault.

Biography

Early life

Sometime prior to 45 BC, Brutus became a member of the Roman Senate. In 47 BCE, he and fellow senator Gaius Cassius Longinus became two of the first members of the Hidden Ones, an earlier incarnation of the Assassin Brotherhood, after having been recruited by Aya. Both of them later met up with Aya in Alexandria, where they made preparations to head to Rome and combat the Order of the Ancients there. When Aya's fleet was attacked by Roman ships, Brutus and Cassius helped to assist her before making their journey to Rome.

Around 45 BCE, many senators began to fear Caesar's growing power following his appointment as dictator. Aware of Caesar's connection to the Order of the Ancients, the Hidden Ones began leading a conspiracy against Caesar, recruiting forty senators and called themselves the Liberatores.

Discovery of the Vault

"Dreams of the cavern again! I run my phantom hands along its walls and recognize every flaw. There is writing here, but I cannot read it."

―Brutus speaks of his dreams.

File:Scroll04.jpg

Brutus' drawing of the Colosseum Vault

For some time, Brutus' dreams were haunted by a mysterious cavern that he found himself compelled to find. Eventually, he was led to discover the sealed First Civilization vault hidden beneath what would eventually become the Santa Maria Aracoeli.

As he had been assigned by Gaius Cassius Longinus as the one to come up with the plan of assassinating Caesar, Brutus designated the temple preceding the vault as a meeting place for his co-conspirators.

Whenever his fellow Assassins left after their council meetings, Brutus would explore the cavern on his own, coming across what had supposedly drawn him to the location, "Whispers. Lights flickering through cracks in the earth. A doorway that is also a puzzle."

Eventually discovering how to gain entrance to the vault, Brutus was struck to awe by "phantom radiance" of the otherworldly architecture, and found the "very pillars of [his] beliefs toppled." Upon approaching and activating the vault's pedestal, Brutus was shown Rome in flames; the aftermath of Caesar's assassination, which ultimately drove him into action.

Brutus would later write several scrolls describing his dreams and discovery of the vault, as well as include drawings of the chamber and its pedestal. Following the assassination of Caesar, Brutus also returned to the temple to store these scrolls, as well as his heirloom armor.

Assassination of Julius Caesar

"I relay my plan; some details are my own, but others driven by my visions. My contributions are practical: we will attack as a group to prevent escape and to ensure each of us is committed to this task. We will lure him to the Senate, where none of his allies may enter."

―Brutus planning Caesar's assassination.

Brutus instructing Aya

In 44 BCE, Brutus brought Aya around Rome to explore the city and the surrounding. Along the way on the rooftops, they tracked down a Roman orator, Magnus, who supported Caesar's ascension and attempted to manipulate the Senate. Brutus instructed Aya to assassinate Magnus at the right time, which she did with an arrow soon after.

After assassinating the orator, Brutus and Aya regrouped in a Roman bathhouse, where he reminisce about his past with Caesar, whom he believed had became mad with power. They were later interrupted by Cassius, who informed them that Caesar refused to renounce the title of dictator, despite the "messages" they had sent.

Inspired and encouraged by the visions he had seen in the vault, Brutus devised the plan for the assassination alongside thirty-nine other senators. As dictated to him by his visions, Brutus scheduled their attack for the Ides of March.

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Brutus stabbing Caesar

That day, however, Caesar's wife, Calpurnia attempted to convince him not to attend the Senate, delaying his arrival and leading the Hidden Ones to fear that the plot had been found out. Brutus persisted nevertheless, arriving at the Theatre of Pompey with Aya and Cassius, where the caught sight of Caesar with Lucius Septimius by his side. While Aya dealt with Septimius, Brutus and Cassius were instructed to delay and wait for Caesar at the Senate. Upon Septimius' defeat and death, Brutus met with Aya outside the Senate, where he handed her a dagger given to him by Caesar, appointing her as the one to eliminate Caesar. Brutus later entered the building and attended the Senate with the rest of the senators. Following Brutus' instructions, Aya entered shortly after and delivered the first stab to Caesar..

The rest of senators then followed, stabbing Caesar twenty-three times. Caesar resisted at first, but resigned himself to his fate upon recognizing Brutus, who delivered the last stab to Caesar, killing him. With Caesar dead, Brutus declared that Romans were now free from the tyrant. After the assassination, Brutus was driven to severe guilt from his actions and later returned to the Colosseum, abandoning the dagger he had used to strike down Caesar within the vault, along with the armor and scrolls.

Death

"Whatever power lies within this artifact, it has not returned our Brother to us. We close his eyes again. There is no sign that he had ever moved."

―The attempted resurrection of Brutus.

The Shroud being used on Brutus' body

After the assassination, the Senate passed an amnesty on the Assassins, which was proposed by Caesar's friend and co-consul Marcus Antonius. Nonetheless, uproar among the population caused Brutus and the other Assassins to leave Rome. Brutus settled in Crete from 44 to 42 BCE.

Eventually, armies under the command of Caesar's allies clashed with those of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in Macedonia. Faced with certain defeat, the two Assassins fled and committed suicide.

After Brutus' death, his followers gathered in Philippi and tried to use the Shroud of Eden to bring him back. However, the Shroud was not capable of such restoration, and though Brutus opened his eyes and moved, he did not appear to breathe, and eventually fell still in a seeming second death.

Legacy

Not long after Brutus' demise, rumours circulated that he may have survived by faking his death and changing his name.

Ezio recovering Brutus' armor

Some time prior to 1500, the Followers of Romulus discovered the temple, and found Brutus' armor and dagger within. They took the artifacts, hiding them in a chamber in the tunnels beneath Colle Palatino. The chamber was to only be opened with six keys, spread across various landmarks throughout Rome, hidden alongside the scroll Brutus had written.

In 1503, the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze managed to obtain all six keys and retrieved the armor and the dagger from its chamber.

By the year 2000, a marble bust of Brutus' head was located in the Mentor's Dubai office, alongside statues of Iltani and Ezio Auditore.

Trivia

• In 1503, Giovanni Borgia relived some of Brutus' memories, due to them both having been exposed to the Shroud of Eden.
• Brutus' ability to activate the vault pedestal suggests that he is a descendant of the First Civilization.
• Brutus belonged to one of the oldest patrician families in Rome – Junius – who were long-time members of Roman aristocracy. It is recorded that the Junius family believed that they are direct descendants of the Roman goddess Juno, the wife of Jupiter. In addition, they were the founders of the Roman Republic and were related only with several noble families.
• The poet Dante Alighieri wrote in Inferno, the first part of The Divine Comedy, that Brutus, along with Cassius, were condemned to the lowest circle of hell because of their act against Julius Caesar, despite the fact that Dante was a member of the Assassin Order.

Gallery

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  Sculpts of Brutus
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  Ezio Auditore wearing Brutus' armor
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  Close-up of Brutus as he appears in Assassin's Creed: Origins

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Fall (Statue)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
• Assassin's Creed: Origins (comic)