Famous Men of Rome · Ch. V · Unit 2: The early Republic

7. Junius Brutus

Goal: Your child can tell how Brutus drove out the last king, and what consuls were.

⏱ About 25 minutes · 6 steps

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You'll need

  • The book, open to this chapter
  • Paper and colored pencils
  • Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)

What's in the book

Chapter V: Brutus pretends to be simple to stay safe from his uncle, King Tarquin. After a terrible wrong done by the king's son to Lucretia, Brutus leads the people to banish the Tarquins in 510 B.C. Rome chooses two consuls each year instead of a king. Brutus sentences his own sons for plotting to bring the king back, and later dies in battle against Tarquin's son.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Set the scene

    SayRome has had seven kings. Today the kings come to an end, and Rome becomes a republic, ruled by leaders the people choose.

  2. Read the chapter

    Read Chapter V aloud. It begins:

    Tarquin the Proud had a nephew named Junius Brutus.

    Heads-up: the book says Sextus "deeply injured" Lucretia and that she then took her own life. For a young child you can say, "The king's son did a terrible wrong to a good woman named Lucretia, and she died." Brutus's sons are also put to death in this chapter.

  3. Tell it back

    Prompts:

    - Why did Brutus pretend to be foolish?

    - What did the fortune-teller say, and what did Brutus do?

    - What did the people shout in the Forum?

    - What happened to Brutus's own sons?

  4. Talk it over

    Read Brutus's clever answer:

    The earth is the true mother of us all.

    Ask:

    - Why did Rome choose two consuls instead of one?

    - The Romans admired Brutus for judging his own sons like any other traitors. What would make that so hard?

  5. Remember it

    Add to the timeline: "510 B.C. The last king is driven out. The Republic begins."

    SayConsuls were two leaders chosen each year to rule instead of a king.

  6. Extra (optional)

    Draw Brutus pretending to stumble and kissing the ground while the king's sons run home.

Tip

Children may notice that the Romans never wanted a king again. That idea comes back again and again, right up to Julius Caesar.

Answers to the book's problems

Two consuls meant no one man had all the power, and they changed each year. Judging his sons was hard because he loved them, but he believed his duty to Rome came first.

Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.

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