Et tu, Bruté? ("Brutus") Morrow

Et tu, Bruté?

("Even you, Brutus?", or "And you, Brutus?" or "You too, Brutus?" or "You also, Brutus?") is a Latin phrase often used poetically to represent the last words of Roman dictator Julius Caesar. The quotation is widely used in Western culture as an epitome of betrayal.

On March 15 (the Ides of March), 44 BC, Caesar was attacked by a group of senators, including Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar's close friend. Caesar initially resisted his attackers, but when he saw Brutus, he supposedly spoke those words and resigned himself to his fate.

While the words are usually understood as an expression of shock towards Brutus' betrayal, it has recently been argued that the phrase was instead uttered as a curse and threat. One theory states Caesar adapted the words of a Greek sentence which to the Romans had long since become proverbial.

The complete phrase is said to have been "You too my son, will have a taste of power," of which Caesar only needed to invoke the opening words to foreshadow Brutus' own violent death, in response to his assassination.

In Asterix comic books, the Julius Caesar character uses this phrase almost every time he addresses Brutus in wholly different contexts, creating a comedic gag that foreshadows Caesar's fate. For example, after finishing a council with his Generals, he finally turns to Brutus and says "And you, son Brutus?" asking for his opinion. "Et tu" is also a well used phrase in the Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis.

At our house, we issue commands such as "Sit Einstein", "Sit Cha-Ching", "Sit Emma", "Sit Secret", "Et tu, Bruté?"

A previous owner named one of our rescue dogs "Ditto" using a similar naming technique.