Crossing the Rubicon, Origin and Meaning

This is a very old post which has drawn hundreds of readers/students/researchers from around the world since I first posted it on Crossing the Rubicon1 about 3 years ago.  I like to think of the post as a public service and I also very much enjoy the traffic it provides. 

Please - if any of the links are dead, let me know in the comments.  When I have time, I am sure the post could use a good overhaul/rewrite.  In the meantime, I can see by my statcounter that people are still trying to find it, so here you are:

Short version first - From the depths of erudition (a volume entitled "The Instant Intellectual" written by Norah Vincent and Chad Conway) comes the following explanation. It is short and to the point and allows one to become familiar without making a great commitment:

To cross the point of no return. To take decisive action from which there is no turning back. The Rubicon is a river in northern Italy that formed the border between the ancient Roman republic and neighboring Gaul. In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar began the ill-fated civil war against Pompey.

A more in depth look:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Rubicon (Rubico) is an ancient Latin name for a small river in northern Italy. In Roman times it flowed into the Adriatic Sea between Ariminum and Caesena. The actual modern identity of the water-course is uncertain, it is usually identified as the Pisciatello in its upper reaches and then the Fiumicino to the sea.

The river is notable as Roman law forbade any general from crossing it with a standing army. The river was considered to mark the boundary between the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul and the Roman heartland, the law thus protected the republic from internal military threat.

When Julius Caesar crossed the river in 49 BCE, supposedly on January 10, in pursuit of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus he broke that law and made armed conflict inevitable. According to Suetonius he uttered the famous phrase 'the die is cast' [1]. Suetonius also described how Caesar was apparently still undecided as he approached the river, and the author gave credit for the actual moment of crossing to a supernatural apparition.

The phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has survived to refer to any person committing themselves irrevocably to a risky course of action.

From ibis.com:

The crossing of a small stream in northern Italy became one of ancient history's most pivotal events. From it sprang the Roman Empire and the genesis of modern European culture.

Born with unbridled political ambition and unsurpassed oratory skills, Julius Caesar manipulated his way to the position of consul of Rome in 59 BC. After his year of service he was named governor of Gaul where he amassed a personal fortune and exhibited his outstanding military skill in subduing the native Celtic and Germanic tribes. Caesar's popularity with the people soared, presenting a threat to the power of the Senate and to Pompey, who held power in Rome. Accordingly, the Senate called upon Caesar to resign his command and disband his army or risk being declared an "Enemy of the State". Pompey was entrusted with enforcing this edict - the foundation for civil war was laid.

It was January 49 BC, Caesar was staying in the northern Italian city of Ravenna and he had a decision to make. Either he acquiesced to the Senate's command or he moved southward to confront Pompey and plunge the Roman Republic into a bloody civil war. An ancient Roman law forbade any general from crossing the Rubicon River and entering Italy proper with a standing army. To do so was treason. This tiny stream would reveal Caesar's intentions and mark the point of no return....

There is more. Click on site above.

From Suetonius' The Deified Julius:

Now when Caesar had over taken his cohorts as the river Rubicon, which was the utmost boundary of his province, he rested for a while; then, considering how great an enterprise he was undertaking, turned to those who stood next to him and said, "As yet, friends, we are able to turn back; but once we pass over this little bridge, there will be no business but by the force of arms and dint of sword."

As he stood still and full of doubt, he happened to see something very strange. All of a sudden there appeared to him a certain man of extraordinary stature and shape, sitting close by and piping on a reed. Now when, besides the shepherds and herdsmen, many soldiers rushed over to hear him, among them the trumpeters, he snatched from one a trumpet, leapt forth to the river, and, beginning with a mighty blast to sound the battle, forged ahead to the other bank. Caesar then spoke: Let us march on, and go wherever the tokens of the gods and the provocations of our enemies call us. The die is cast."

Here are a few more links:

Classics Unveiled Everything you ever wanted to know about ancient Rome but were afraid to ask. Timeline, more links, from rise of Rome in 755 B.C. to fall, 476 A.D.

Ancient Worlds A discussion board. Very detailed. Very intense. I'm no expert, but I think these folks might be.

The Julius Caesar Site Shakespeare, links and student projects from Tufts University.

Julius Caesar's Blog Great Caesar's ghost! Direct to you from the "Now I've seen everything" files. There's even a link to a site if you'd like to "Support our troops" fighting in Gaul.

Forum Romanum A collaborative history project run by a gentleman from Harvard. Lots of depth and detail regarding the Roman Empire - contents include books from the early 1900s.

Illustrated History of the Roman Empire You'll have to do some digging on this site to find the reference to Caesar and the Rubicon, but it is there, along with detailed timelines, interractive maps and illustrations.

Information Please A concise biography of Caesar.

Addendum: I recently found an additional link. This site, eyewitnesstohistory.com, has a lot of interesting historical information on ancient Rome.