He who establishes a tyranny and does not kill Brutus, and he who establishes a democratic regime and does not kill the sons of Brutus, will not last long.

The remark encapsulates Machiavelli’s hard-edged lesson about political survival: new regimes—whether tyrannical or popular—must neutralize the most symbolically potent enemies who can rally opposition. “Brutus” evokes the Roman tradition of tyrannicide and republican liberty; leaving a “Brutus” alive under a tyranny invites assassination and revolt. Conversely, a new democracy that fails to eliminate the heirs of a tyrant (the “sons of Brutus,” i.e., those with a claim, network, or prestige tied to the old order) risks restoration attempts. The point is less about personal cruelty than about the structural logic of regime change: legitimacy is contested, and unresolved rival centers of loyalty can quickly undo a fragile settlement.