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In January 49 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar led a single legion, Legio XIII, south over the Rubicon from Cisalpine Gaul to Italy to make his way to Rome. In doing so, he deliberately broke the law on imperium and made armed conflict inevitable.
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What does it mean to cross the Rubicon?
Why is crossing the Rubicon important?
Where did the idiom “cross the Rubicon” come from?
Why did Caesar cross the Rubicon?
- Before The Roman Empire
- At The Rubicon
- The Die Is Cast
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Before Rome was an Empire, it was a Republic. Julius Caesar was a general of an army of the Republic, based in the north of what is now Northern Italy. He expanded the borders of the Republic into modern France, Spain, and Britain, making him a popular leader. His popularity, however, led to tensions with other powerful Roman leaders. Having succes...
When Julius Caesar led his troops from Gaul in January of 49 B.C.E., he paused on the northern end of a bridge. As he stood, he debated whether or not to cross the Rubicon, a river separating Cisalpine Gaul—the piece of land where Italy joins the mainland and at the time inhabited by Celts—from the Italian peninsula. When he was making this decisio...
The Roman historian Plutarch reported that at this critical moment of decision Caesar declared in Greek and in a loud voice, "let the die be cast!" and then led his troops across the river. Plutarch renders the phrase in Latin, of course, as "alea iacta est" or "iacta alea est." A die is simply one of a pair of dice. Even in Roman times, gambling g...
Learn how Julius Caesar used the phrase "let the die be cast" to cross the Rubicon River and start the Roman civil war in 49 B.C.E. Find out what the phrase means and how it relates to Caesar's ambitions and legacy.
Learn what crossing the Rubicon means and how it originated from Julius Caesar's decision to start a civil war in Rome. Find synonyms and examples of this idiom and how to use it in a sentence.
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On 10 January 49 BC, Roman general Julius Caesar defied an ultimatum set to him by the Senate. If he brought his veteran armies across the river Rubicon in northern Italy, the Republic would be in a state of civil war.
- History Hit
The phrase “cross the Rubicon” is a well-known idiom that has been used in various contexts throughout history. It represents a decisive moment when someone takes an irreversible action that will have significant consequences.
Jul 12, 2023 · Learn how Julius Caesar's act of war in 49 B.C.E. inspired the phrase "crossing the Rubicon," meaning passing the point of no return. Discover the history behind this classic idiom and its modern usage in popular culture.
Apr 20, 2014 · The expression means to make a difficult decision with irreversible consequences – in short, to pass the point of no return. It refers back to a decision made by Julius Caesar in January 49 BC that changed ancient Rome forever.
