Ever wondered where the word "brutal" comes from? Well, it's your lucky day. Start with the ancient tale of Julius Caesar's assassination: Back in 44 B.C., enabled by his growing power in the Roman senate, Julius Caesar appointed himself Dictator for Life, spawning a conspiracy again him. Brutus, one of Caesar's most trusted friends and allies, whom Caesar had mercifully spared after a previous insurrection, was party to the conspiracy and subsequent assassination, a betrayal which would go down in infamy. It is from Brutus's notorious reputation that we get the adjective "brutal," which means "wicked, cruel and vile."
Etymology is fun.
