The picture is a syncretion of scenes from different legendary themes in different time periods that Botticelli considered related.

The statue at the top of the column behind Brutus in the foreground is David and Goliath's head,[1] which is not very suitable for vengeance, but does fit the political situation.

The setting is a small town, which can be seen trailing into the countryside in the background; some speculate it may have been Collatia, but that place was hardly the scene of a national revolution.

Hilliard T. Goldfarb, author of The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: A Companion Guide and History, instead suggests that it is a dramatic stage scene in which the players gesticulate theatrically, and also about Botticelli's intent to convey "a clear political message.

"[2] One does not, however, hire one of the greatest artists of the time to adorn the inside of a wedding chest or the back of a chair, even in a mansion, with clear political messages; presumably, the panel was meant for public display of some sort.