Talk

Crossing the Rubicon

Julius Caesar as a young man attempted to buy influence with money. While he was able to buy influence he was fast running out of money. As a young man about to embark on a military career in Gaul he realized that he was deep in debt. A miracle was needed to turn his life around.

Fortunately, Caesar was in the miracle business. His victories in Gaul and England resulted in his coffers being enriched quite handsomly. He also built himself an intensely loyal and effective army.

Cicero, then a Roman senator decided that Caesar was becoming too powerful and needed to have his power curbed. He was brought up on false charges and ordered to return to Rome to stand trial. Caesar returned with his army to the banks of the Rubicon (the boundary demarcating his province from Rome). (A rule enacted by Sulla ( a general who had marched on Rome earlier) prohibited a proconsul from taking his army outside his province.

After negotiations failed Caesar issued the order to cross the Rubicon thus breaking the law with only one outcome war. The Senators led by Pompey lost the battle to Caesar. Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was murdered by his hosts who learnt of Caesar's march towards Egypt. One side-effect of Caesar's visit to Egypt was his acquaintance with its 17 year old Pharoah, Cleopatra.

Finally quelling the disturbances that had risen in the Roman empire after the civil war Caesar returned to Rome triumphant with the placard veni, vidi, vici