Crossing the Rubicon

While I was planning my trip, I noticed that the train from Bologna to Rimini crossed over a tiny, fairly insignificant-looking river. This river, however, held a huge significance for the Roman Republic back in 49 BC, marking Rome's northeastern border with Cisalpine Gaul. Its name is the Rubicon.

In 49 BC, Julius Caesar, Consul of Rome, Proconsul of Gaul and Illyricum, and member of Rome's ruling Triumvirate, was returning from the Gallic Wars. After his string of military victories and significant achievements, including invading Britannia and building a bridge over the Rhine, his successes were threatening to overshadow his fellow Consul, Pompey the Great.

In an attempt to preserve his power, Pompey set about aligning himself with the Senate and in 50 BC, following the conclusion of the Gallic Wars and the approaching expiration of Caesar's command, he ordered Caesar to return to Rome.

Roman law at the time stated that any magistrate (such as a consul) who entered lands directly controlled by Rome at the head of an army immediately forfeited his command, and continuing to lead an army from that point was a capital offence. As such, when Caesar reached the border of Roman-controlled lands and proceeded to cross the river, he remarked "the die is cast" - in Latin, "ālea iactus est".

Thus followed Caesar's civil war between himself and Pompey the Great, the fall of the Roman Republic, his ascent to Dictator for Life ("Dictator Perpetuo"), and, following his death, his adopted son Octavian became the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. His legacy has lasted for thousands of years - the Roman emperors continued to call themselves "Caesar" long after his death, the German word "Kaiser" and Russian word "Tsar" both derived from his own name, and the legacy of one charismatic man's rise to ultimate power and toppling long-established out-of-touch institutions continues to echo to this day. And let's not forget Caesarian sections, Caesar ciphers or Caesar salads!

Today, the site of Caesar's crossing can be found in the small, unassuming town of Savignano sul Rubicone. I had hoped to cross through the river itself as I knew there was a very shallow section with large, pebbly islands but unfortunately there were works going on there so I crossed over the Roman bridge instead. On what used to be the Roman side of the bridge is a statue of Caesar, labelled in his Roman style from after he had seized power, while on the Gallic side is a road sign indicating you are now leaving Gaul and entering Rome.Read more