Rubicon River (Victory and Tragedy of the Roman Republic)

Author: (English) Tom Holland
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: In 49 BC, Julius Caesar, the governor of Gaul, led his army across the Rubicon River in northern Italy and advanced toward Rome. This was a high-stakes gamble. Caesar risked not only his personal fortune and life but also the fate of the Republic. What political situation prompted Caesar to make this decision? What was the "First Triumvirate," which included Caesar? Why could military strongmen dominate the "democratic politics" of the Republic in that era? How did the power and role of the Senate manifest? In the late Republic, Rome had already controlled vast areas outside Italy, and the prospect of turning the Mediterranean into an inland sea was becoming increasingly clear. What impact did this fact have on the Republic? What happened after Caesar crossed the Rubicon? With this volume in hand, a century of tumultuous events in the late Roman Republic unfolds before your eyes. The Rubicon River was the border between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy during the Roman Republic. In 49 BC, Caesar broke the law that prohibited him from crossing the boundary of his province and crossed the Rubicon, declaring war on the Roman consul Pompey. The Rubicon paints a vivid picture of the Roman Republic at its height. This was the century of Julius Caesar, the ambitious conqueror who crossed the Rubicon and achieved greatness; this was the century of Cicero, whose eloquence for freedom made him the embodiment of the orator; this was the century of Spartacus, who dared to oppose tyranny; and of course, this was also the century of the legendary Cleopatra. It was a dramatic century, as Rome grew from a regional power into a superpower. The Roman elite, once proud of their rebellion against tradition, willingly abandoned their past responsibilities and personal freedom to bow to the emperor. Political intrigue, bold individualism, and dramatic reversals all converged in the bloodshed of this century. However, since little material from this period remains, it is not easy to recreate this history with vivid language. Author Tom Holland had to rely on Cicero's memoirs, letters, and fragments of speeches. In fact, Holland brings to life the great Roman figures—Sulla, Pompey, Caesar, and others—through the perspective of this "supporting character." Based on existing books, speeches, memoirs, and correspondence, this work narrates the triumphs and failures of the Roman Republic through the of many facts. In 49 BC, Julius Caesar, the governor of Gaul, led his army across the Rubicon River in northern Italy and advanced toward Rome. This was a high-stakes gamble. Caesar risked not only his personal fortune and life but also the fate of the Republic. What political situation prompted Caesar to make this decision? What was the "First Triumvirate," which included Caesar? Why could military strongmen dominate the "democratic politics" of the Republic in that era? How did the power and role of the Senate manifest? In the late Republic, Rome had already controlled vast areas outside Italy, and the prospect of turning the Mediterranean into an inland sea was becoming increasingly clear. What impact did this fact have on the Republic? What happened after Caesar crossed the Rubicon? With this volume in hand, a century of tumultuous events in the late Roman Republic unfolds before your eyes.