SCREEN FOR HIS LIFE. HENCE HE WAS DUBBED BRUTUS, FOR THIS IS THE NAME
BY WHICH THE LATINS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO CALL IDIOTS. WHILE PRETENDING TO
BE MAD HE WAS TAKEN ALONG AS A PLAYTHING BY THE CHILDREN OF TARQUIN,
WHEN THEY JOURNEYED TO DELPHI. AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS CARRYING A
VOTIVE OFFERING TO THE GOD; THIS WAS A STAFF, APPARENTLY POSSESSING NO
POINT OF EXCELLENCE, so that he became a laughing stock for it all the
more. It furnished a kind of image of the affliction that he feigned.
For he had hollowed it out and had secretly poured in gold, indicating
thereby that the disesteem which he suffered for his madness served to
conceal a sound and estimable intelligence. [Sidenote: FRAG. 10^7] TO
THE QUERY OF THE SONS OF TARQUIN AS TO WHO SHOULD SUCCEED TO THEIR
FATHER'S SOVEREIGNTY THE GOD REPLIED THAT THE FIRST WHO KISSED HIS
MOTHER SHOULD OBTAIN THE POWER. AND BRUTUS, COMPREHENDING, FELL DOWN
AS IF ACCIDENTALLY AND COVERED THE EARTH WITH KISSES, RIGHTLY DEEMING
HER TO BE THE MOTHER OF ALL.

[Sidenote: FRAG. 10^8] THIS BRUTUS OVERTHREW THE TARQUINS, taking as
his justification the case of Lucretia, though these rulers were even
without that hated by all for their tyrannous and violent
characteristics. Lucretia was a daughter of Lucretius Spurius, a man
that was a member of the senate, and she was wife of the distinguished
Tarquinius Collatinus and was renowned, as it chanced, for her beauty
and chastity. [Sidenote: FRAG. 10^8] SEXTUS, THE SON OF TARQUIN, SET
HIS HEART UPON OUTRAGING HER, NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE HE WAS INSPIRED WITH
PASSION BY HER BEAUTY AS BECAUSE HE CHOSE TO PLOT AGAINST HER CHASTE
REPUTATION. SO, HAVING WATCHED FOR COLLATINUS TO BE AWAY FROM HOME, HE
CAME BY NIGHT TO HER AND LODGED AT HER HOUSE, SINCE SHE WAS THE WIFE
OF A RELATIVE. AND FIRST HE TRIED BY PERSUASION TO SECURE ILLICIT
PLEASURE FROM HER AND THEN HE RESORTED TO VIOLENCE. AS HE COULD NOT
SUCCEED, HE THREATENED TO CUT HER THROAT. BUT INASMUCH AS SHE DESPISED