vacuum
16th December 2020, 07:13 PM
We've all heard the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" before, but where does it come from?
Interestingly it has parallels to our current situation.
Julius Caesar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar)'s crossing the Rubicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon) river on January 10, 49 BC[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon#cite_note-1) precipitated the Roman Civil War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War), which ultimately led to Caesar's becoming dictator (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_dictator) and the rise of the imperial era of Rome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire). Caesar had been appointed to a governorship over a region that ranged from southern Gaul (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaul) to Illyricum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyricum_(Roman_province)) (but not Italy). As his term of governorship ended, the Roman Senate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Senate) ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome). He was explicitly ordered not to take his army across the Rubicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon) river, which was at that time a northern boundary of Italy. In January of 49 BC, Caesar brought the 13th legion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_XIII_Gemina) across the river, which the Roman government considered insurrection (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurrection), treason (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason), and a declaration of war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war) on the Roman Senate. According to some authors, he is said to have uttered the phrase "alea iacta est (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alea_iacta_est)"—the die is cast—as his army marched through the shallow river.
Today, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" is a metaphor that means to pass a point of no return (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_no_return).
Why did he do it?
Caesar's Civil War (49–45 BC) was one of the last politico-military conflicts in the Roman Republic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic) before the establishment of the Roman Empire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire). It began as a series of political and military confrontations, between Julius Caesar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar) (100–44 BC), his political supporters (broadly known as Populares (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populares)), and his legions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_legion), against the Optimates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimates) (or Boni), the politically conservative and socially traditionalist faction of the Roman Senate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Senate),[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-3) who were supported by Pompey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey) (106–48 BC) and his legions.[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-4)
Prior to the war, Caesar had served for eight years in the Gallic Wars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_Wars). He and Pompey had, along with Marcus Licinius Crassus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus), established the First Triumvirate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Triumvirate), through which they shared power over Rome. Caesar soon emerged as a champion of the common people, and advocated a variety of reforms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_reforms_of_Julius_Caesar). The Senate, fearful of Caesar, reduced the number of legions he had,[5] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-unrv.com-5) then demanded that he relinquish command of his army. Caesar refused, and instead marched his army on Rome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon), which no Roman general was permitted to do by law. Pompey fled Rome and organized an army in the south of Italy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Italy) to meet Caesar.
In January, 49 BC, Caesar's opponents in the Senate, led by Lentulus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Lentulus_Crus), Cato (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Porcius_Cato_the_Younger) and Scipio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Caecilius_Metellus_Pius_Scipio_Nasica), tried to strip Caesar of his command (provinces and legions) and force him to return to Rome as a private citizen (liable to prosecution). Caesar's allies in the Senate, especially Mark Anthony (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Antonius), Curio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Scribonius_Curio_(praetor_49_BC)), Cassius (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Cassius_Longinus) and Caelius Rufus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Caelius_Rufus), tried to defend their patron, but were threatened with violence. On 7 January the Senate passed the consultum ultimum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senatus_consultum_ultimum) (declaring a state of emergency) and charged the consuls, praetors, tribunes and proconsuls with the defence of the state. That night Anthony, Cassius, Curio and Caelius Rufus fled from Rome and headed north to join Caesar.[7] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-7)
On January 10, 49 BC, commanding the Legio XIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_XIII), Caesar crossed the Rubicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon) River, the boundary between the province of Cisalpine Gaul (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisalpine_Gaul) to the north and Italy proper to the south. As crossing the Rubicon with an army was prohibited, lest a returning general attempt a coup d'etat (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27etat), that triggered the ensuing civil war between Caesar and Pompey.
The general population, which regarded Caesar as a hero, approved of his actions. The historical records differ about the decisive comment Caesar that made on crossing the Rubicon: one report is Alea iacta est (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alea_iacta_est) (usually translated as "The die is cast").
Caesar's own account of the Civil War makes no mention of the river crossing but simply states that he marched to Rimini, a town south of the Rubicon, with his army.[8]
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-8)
Interestingly it has parallels to our current situation.
Julius Caesar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar)'s crossing the Rubicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon) river on January 10, 49 BC[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon#cite_note-1) precipitated the Roman Civil War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War), which ultimately led to Caesar's becoming dictator (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_dictator) and the rise of the imperial era of Rome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire). Caesar had been appointed to a governorship over a region that ranged from southern Gaul (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaul) to Illyricum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyricum_(Roman_province)) (but not Italy). As his term of governorship ended, the Roman Senate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Senate) ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome). He was explicitly ordered not to take his army across the Rubicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon) river, which was at that time a northern boundary of Italy. In January of 49 BC, Caesar brought the 13th legion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_XIII_Gemina) across the river, which the Roman government considered insurrection (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurrection), treason (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason), and a declaration of war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war) on the Roman Senate. According to some authors, he is said to have uttered the phrase "alea iacta est (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alea_iacta_est)"—the die is cast—as his army marched through the shallow river.
Today, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" is a metaphor that means to pass a point of no return (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_no_return).
Why did he do it?
Caesar's Civil War (49–45 BC) was one of the last politico-military conflicts in the Roman Republic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic) before the establishment of the Roman Empire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire). It began as a series of political and military confrontations, between Julius Caesar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar) (100–44 BC), his political supporters (broadly known as Populares (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populares)), and his legions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_legion), against the Optimates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimates) (or Boni), the politically conservative and socially traditionalist faction of the Roman Senate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Senate),[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-3) who were supported by Pompey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey) (106–48 BC) and his legions.[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-4)
Prior to the war, Caesar had served for eight years in the Gallic Wars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_Wars). He and Pompey had, along with Marcus Licinius Crassus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus), established the First Triumvirate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Triumvirate), through which they shared power over Rome. Caesar soon emerged as a champion of the common people, and advocated a variety of reforms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_reforms_of_Julius_Caesar). The Senate, fearful of Caesar, reduced the number of legions he had,[5] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-unrv.com-5) then demanded that he relinquish command of his army. Caesar refused, and instead marched his army on Rome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon), which no Roman general was permitted to do by law. Pompey fled Rome and organized an army in the south of Italy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Italy) to meet Caesar.
In January, 49 BC, Caesar's opponents in the Senate, led by Lentulus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Lentulus_Crus), Cato (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Porcius_Cato_the_Younger) and Scipio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Caecilius_Metellus_Pius_Scipio_Nasica), tried to strip Caesar of his command (provinces and legions) and force him to return to Rome as a private citizen (liable to prosecution). Caesar's allies in the Senate, especially Mark Anthony (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Antonius), Curio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Scribonius_Curio_(praetor_49_BC)), Cassius (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Cassius_Longinus) and Caelius Rufus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Caelius_Rufus), tried to defend their patron, but were threatened with violence. On 7 January the Senate passed the consultum ultimum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senatus_consultum_ultimum) (declaring a state of emergency) and charged the consuls, praetors, tribunes and proconsuls with the defence of the state. That night Anthony, Cassius, Curio and Caelius Rufus fled from Rome and headed north to join Caesar.[7] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-7)
On January 10, 49 BC, commanding the Legio XIII (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_XIII), Caesar crossed the Rubicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon) River, the boundary between the province of Cisalpine Gaul (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisalpine_Gaul) to the north and Italy proper to the south. As crossing the Rubicon with an army was prohibited, lest a returning general attempt a coup d'etat (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27etat), that triggered the ensuing civil war between Caesar and Pompey.
The general population, which regarded Caesar as a hero, approved of his actions. The historical records differ about the decisive comment Caesar that made on crossing the Rubicon: one report is Alea iacta est (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alea_iacta_est) (usually translated as "The die is cast").
Caesar's own account of the Civil War makes no mention of the river crossing but simply states that he marched to Rimini, a town south of the Rubicon, with his army.[8]
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War#cite_note-8)