Crossing the Rubicon means passing a point of no return. Julius Caesar crossed the river, which separated Cisalpine Gaul from Rome, with an army, an act of treason. It became an idiom for committing to a course of action with no turning back.
Crossing the Rubicon is a phrase that simply means passing a point of no return. Those using the saying are simply expressing a feeling that they are now committed to a certain course of action. Though the meaning has been lost or forgotten by many over the years, crossing the Rubicon draws on Roman-era history for its significance. It was then that Julius Caesar, who would become Roman dictator and usher in an era of emperors, crossed the Rubicon, a river in northern Italy. In Roman times it was strictly forbidden to cross the river with a standing army.
Geographically, the Rubicon extends from the Apennines to the Adriatic coast, and then flows into the sea. The total length of the shallow river is approximately 49.7 miles (80 kilometers). In Roman times it separated the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul from Rome proper. No one was permitted to bring a formal army across the river, and doing so generally represented an act of treason, war, or perhaps both.
Julius Caesar served as governor of Gaul and from there waged a series of wars and attacks in the northern areas that were generally successful. While those successful campaigns brought him some fame and boosted his popularity among many of the ordinary Romans, many of those in the ruling class, as well as those with wealth, resented what Caesar was doing. Therefore, they sought to limit Caesar’s influence and arrest him or otherwise prevent him from gaining influence.
For his part, Cesare, was not only an astute military leader, but also a skilled politician, and he could see what the leaders in Rome were doing. Both sides maneuvered and positioned for a couple of years, with most postings starting in 51 BC. Hence, Caesar decided to mount and proceed to Rome in January 49 BC. Caesar was well aware of the importance of crossing the Rubicon, telling those who marched with him that once they crossed the bridge, the only option was to fight it.
While Caesar’s gamble and campaign into the heart of Rome would ultimately prove successful, crossing the Rubicon would become an idiom meaning crossing a point of no return. Up until the crossing of the Rubicon, Caesar had the option of attempting diplomacy, although by then it seemed there would be no peaceful resolution to disagreements. However, Caesar had, technically, done nothing against Rome itself until he had crossed the Rubicon River.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
