Rubicon

:This article is about a river. For other meanings see: Rubicon (disambiguation)

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The Rubicon (Rubico, in Italian Rubicone) is an ancient Latin name for a small river in northern Italy. In Roman times it flowed into the Adriatic Sea between Ariminum and Caesena. The actual modern identity of the water-course is uncertain, it is usually identified as the Pisciatello in its upper reaches and then the Fiumicino to the sea.

Related Topics:
Italian - Latin - River - Italy - Adriatic Sea - Ariminum - Caesena - Pisciatello - Fiumicino

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The river is notable as Roman law forbade any general from crossing it with a standing army. The river was considered to mark the boundary between the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul to the north and the Roman heartland to the south; the law thus protected the republic from internal military threat.

Related Topics:
Roman law - Cisalpine Gaul

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When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC, supposedly on January 10 of the Roman calendar, in pursuit of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus he broke that law and made armed conflict inevitable. According to Suetonius he uttered the famous phrase 'the die is cast'.{{fn|1}} Suetonius also described how Caesar was apparently still undecided as he approached the river, and the author gave credit for the actual moment of crossing to a supernatural apparition.

Related Topics:
Julius Caesar - 49 BC - January 10 - Roman calendar - Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus - Suetonius - Die

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The phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has survived to refer to any person committing himself irrevocably to a risky course of action.

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