The Rubicon River was the symbolic “beginning” of the territory directly controlled by the Roman Senate during the waning days of the Republic. Julius Caesar was gaining more and more power as both a general and as a populist politician. He was a member of the Triumvirate; a three man coalition that essentially said to each member, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” With each victory, Caesar cemented his standing with the people and the corrupt senators grew to hate and fear his growing power so they ordered him to return to Rome (without his legions) to stand trial on trumped up charges. So he had a choice: disband his armies and do as the Senate asked, knowing full well they would have tried and convicted him, destroying his career and forcibly “retiring” him or march his armies against Rome. He chose the latter, stipulating that he wasn’t attacking the people or coming back as a tyrant but as a liberator against the Senate. The story is apocryphal but the story goes that at the banks of the Rubicon, he said “Alea iacta est” (the die has been cast) meaning “it’s do or die.” It led to the first civil war and in the end, the shit ass Senate was defeated and cowed, Pompey was dead and Caesar was NOW “dictator perpetuo” (dictator for life.)

The Rubicon River was the symbolic “beginning” of the territory directly controlled by the Roman Senate during the waning days of the Republic. Julius Caesar was gaining more and more power as both a general and as a populist politician. He was a member of the Triumvirate; a three man coalition that essentially said to each member, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” With each victory, Caesar cemented his standing with the people ad the corrupt senators grew to hate and fear his growing power so they ordered him to return to Rome (without his legions) to stand trial on trumped up charges. So he had a choice: disband his armies and do as the Senate asked, knowing full well they would have tried and convicted him, destroying his career and forcibly “retiring” him or march his armies against Rome. He chose the latter, stipulating that he was t stacking the people or coming back as a tyrant but as a liberator against the Senate. The story is apocryphal but the story goes that at the banks of the Rubicon, he said “Alea iacta est” (the die has been cast) meaning it’s do or die. It led to the first civil war and in the end, the shit ass Senate was defeated and cowed, Pompey was dead and Caesar was NOW “dictator perpetuo” (dictator for life.)

The Rubicon River was the symbolic “beginning” of the territory directly controlled by the Roman Senate during the waning days of the Republic. Julius Caesar was gaining more and more power as both a general and as a populist politician. He was a member of the Triumvirate; a three man coalition that essentially said to each member, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” With each victory, cadaver cemented his standing with the people ad the corrupt senators grew to hate and fear his growing power so they ordered him to return to Rome (without his legions) to stand trial on trumped up charges. So he had a choice: disband his armies and do as the Senate asked, knowing full well they would have tried and convicted him, destroying his career and forcibly “retiring” him or march his armies against Rome. He chose the latter, stipulating that he was t stacking the people or coming back as a tyrant but as a liberator against the Senate. The story is apocryphal but the story goes that at the banks of the Rubicon, he said “Alea iacta est” (the die has been cast) meaning it’s do or die. It led to the first civil war and in the end, the shit ass Senate was defeated and cowed, Pompey was dead and Caesar was NOW “dictator perpetuo” (dictator for life.)