Crossing the rubicon by luca fezzi yale university press. Anything associating the rubicon with the line beyond which it was not possible for caesar to withdraw occurs only after lucans epic poem on the civil war, written at the end of the julioclaudian period. In this scene the army at the head with caesar crossing the river called rubicon. To walk with god, all of us must cross the rubicon. Michael ruppert was someone i found out about when, like many, i tried finding out about the realities of 911 and the politics and manoeuvring behind the scenes. Crossing the rubicon discovers and identifies key suspects finding some of them in the highest echelons of american government by showing how they acted in concert to guarantee that the attacks produced the desired result. Except for alexander the great, gaius julius caesar is the best known conqueror of the ancient world. A dramatic account of the fateful year leading to the ultimate crisis of the roman republic and the rise of caesars autocracy when the senate ordered julius caesar, conqueror of gaul, to disband his troops, he instead marched his soldiers across the rubicon river, in violation of roman law. After crossing the rubicon, caesar advanced to ariminum modernday rimini, the first city outside his province. Original soundtrack from total war rome 2 by richard beddow. I decided to combine the nice song of the sounds with the great scene of the movie rome. The decision robbed the rubicon of its importance, and the name gradually disappeared from the local toponymy after the fall of the western roman empire, and during the first. Caesar had been appointed to a governorship over a region that ranged from southern gaul to illyricum but not italy. Bypassing roman and allied land garrisons and roman naval dominance, hannibal managed to lead his carthaginian army over the alps and into italy to take the war directly to the roman republic.
How julius caesar started a big war by crossing a small stream. It was a decisive incident in the life of julius caesar. Tradition dictates that ariminums forum was the scene for julius caesars famous speech to his soldiers when he uttered the words alea jacta est. He also reported caesars view that he had been robbed of six months of his command. The last years of the roman republic by tom holland. His act thus amounted to a declaration of war against the roman. The movement of julius caesars forces over the rubicon into italy in 49 bc violated the law the lex cornelia majestatis that forbade a general to lead an army out of the province to which he was assigned. Caesars decision and the fate of rome by luca fezzi translated from the italian by richard dixon presents a tale of ambition and politics and civil war. The river rubicon was considered to be the dividing line between italy and the rest of the empire. Caesars decision and the fate of rome, by luca fezzi. This is a roman theme, i dont know the original name of it, but who cares. In rimini, a monument in piazza tre martiri marks the place where caesar allegedly harangued his troops. With nathan dean williams, diana dimitrova, marcel dorian, jack ellis. There had been many civil wars in the previous century but the one started by caesar was to change roman history forever.
The rubicon is a river in italy with a legendary history. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. When julius caesar was about to cross the tiny rubicon river in 49 b. The last years of the roman republic some decisions change everything.
Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the republic at the climax of its greatness. Crossing the rubicon discovers and identifies key suspectsfinding some of them in the highest echelons of american governmentby showing how they acted in concert to guarantee that the attacks produced the desired result. A detailed scrutiny of the events of 911, the book. Book overview a dramatic account of the fateful year leading to the ultimate crisis of the roman republic and the rise of caesars autocracy when the senate ordered julius caesar, conqueror of gaul, to disband his troops, he instead marched his soldiers across the rubicon river, in violation of roman law. Caesar decides to challenge proconsul pompey and ignores the roman senates command to disband his troops. Pompey insists that gordianus investigate and find the murderer, even though gordianus claims he is too old and not doing his work as the finder anymore, so pompey takes gordianuss soninlaw davus as a. Tom hollands enthralling account tells the story of caesars generation, witness to the twilight. Rubicon, latin rubico, or rubicon, small stream that separated cisalpine gaul from italy in the era of the roman republic. The senate turned to its proconsul, pompey the great, for help. The last chapter of reverons book expertly examines their rising power and influence on traditional civilmilitary relations. Caesars decision and the fate of rome by luca fezzi isbn. In 49 bc, julius caesar leads an ambitious campaign to cross the rubicon river.
From now on it is a decision by decision progress, via the rubicon and pompeys departure from brindisi, to caesars arrival in rome and the biggest constitutional crisis. Caesars decision and the fate of rome book book details. The attacks of september 11, 2001, were accomplished through an amazing orchestration of logistics and personnel. Definition of cross the rubicon in the idioms dictionary.
Tom hollands enthralling account tells the story of caesars generation, witness to the twilight of the republic and its bloody transformation into an empire. Weve seen the broadbrush background, and we have been introduced to the dramatis personae. Losing his governorship was a slap in the face to caesar, but returning to rome as a private citizen was even worse. While his conquest of gaul is well known, winning the roman civil war won him his most enduring fame.
According to wikipedia, the idiom crossing the rubicon means to pass a point of no return, and refers to julius caesars armies crossing of the river in 49 bc. The rubicon first occurs as a boundary for marc antony, who was forbidden from taking an army from italy north of the rubicon. Hannibals crossing of the alps in 218 bc was one of the major events of the second punic war, and one of the most celebrated achievements of any military force in ancient warfare. Crossing the rubicon caesars decision and the fate of rome luca fezzi price. Julius caesars crossing the rubicon river in january 49 bc precipitated the roman civil war, which ultimately led to caesar becoming dictator and the rise of the imperial era of rome. To cross the rubicon is a metaphor which means to take an irrevocable step that commits one to a specific course. The book begins with julius caesar about to take the supreme gamble of crossing the rubicon, and then backtracks to show the to be fair, most people know something about the roman empire, but this book fleshes out historical characters that may be just names and puts them in context. What was the significance of caesar crossing the rubicon.
If he brought his veteran armies across the river rubicon in northern italy, the republic would be in a state of civil war. As his term of governorship ended, the roman senate ordered caesar to disband his army and. To remain in gaul meant forfeiting his power to his enemies in rome. The attacks of september 11, 2001 were accomplished through an amazing orchestration of logistics and personnel. After caesars crossing, the rubicon was a geographical feature of note until about 42 bc, when octavian merged the province of cisalpine gaul into italia and the river ceased to be the extreme northern border of italy. Fully aware of the momentous nature of his decision, caesar ignored the warning and began to march south on rome. Caesars decision and the fate of rome by luca fezzi online at alibris. Synopsis the roman republic was the most remarkable state in history. What began as a small community of peasants camped among marshes and hills ended up ruling the known world.
The book starts out with pompey evacuating rome, as caesar has just crossed the rubicon. Julius caesar crossed the rubicon river and starts a civil war in the roman republic. Crossing the rubicon was a dangerous act of insurrection. Caesars decision and the fate of rome english isbn.
The last years of the roman republic, holland charts the decline of the roman republic, anticipating the age of emperors ushered in when julius caesar, then governor of gaul, commanded his loyal legions to march on rome. The world yet lives with the repercussions of the civil war gaius julius caesar precipitated when he led his army across the rubicon river in 49 bc. Crossing the rubicon answers questions about roman civil. Crossing the rubicon was one of the first books i read in this subject area, but ive subsequently realised it is the best.
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