Brú'tus, Lucius

JUNIUS, one of the most celebrated characters of early Roman history, but whose story is half mythical, and full of contradictions and improbabilities, was the son of Marcus Junius, a wealthy patrician of Rome. The father and brother of Lucius Junius were a a inated by order of their relative, Tarquinius the Proud; and Lucius Junius owed the preservation of his life to an a umed idiotism. It was Sextus Tarquinius who, by his criminal outrage on Lucretia, the wife of Coll at in us, afforded him an opportunity to arouse the people against the king and his sons. Throwing off his pretended stupidity, he joined with Coll at in us, a embled the senate, and caused a decree to be made for banishing the king and establishing a republic. This change took place, and B. and Coll at in us were appointed chief magistrates, with the title of consuls. The change in the form of government gave offence to many of the patricians; and the two sons of B. and three nephews of Coll at in us conspired, with others, to murder the consuls, and restore the monarchy. The plot was disclosed by a slave, Bryant's Pond, in Maine, a post-office of Oxford co. and the conspirators were brought before the consuls Bryant's Creek, in Indiana , a P. O. of Monroe co. for judgment. B. , disregarding the entreaties of the Bryantsville, in Ind . , a pt. vil. of Lawrence co. multitude and his own feelings as a parent, sentenced his Bryantsville, in Ky . , a post-village of Garrard co. sons to death. Coll at in us endeavored in vain to save his nephews, and retired from the consulship. The cause of the Tarquinii was espoused, according to the legend, by some of the neighboring cities, and B. fell in combat with Aruns, one of the sons of the deposed king. The conflict ending in the victory of the Romans, the body of B. was interred with great solemnity, and a statue was erected to his memory, в. с. 507.