Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·71 of 348
"Et tu, Brute? (said by the historical Caesar)"
They never said that.
What people say
"Et tu, Brute? (said by the historical Caesar)"
What was actually said
"Caesar's actual dying words, if any, are unrecorded." Julius Caesar — Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, III.i (1599)
Why it stuck
Shakespeare's Latin line became the "real" quote. Suetonius reported Caesar may have said the Greek "καὶ σύ, τέκνον" — "you too, child" — or nothing at all.
The Latin "Et tu, Brute?" is purely Shakespeare's.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.