Alex has spent a lifetime in the sewing industry and is considered one of the foremost experts of pioneering machines and their inventors. He has written extensively for trade magazines, radio, television, books and publications world wide. 

Crossing the Rubicon

A legend is born

Over the years I had often heard the term “Crossing the Rubicon” or “You’ve crossed the Rubicon now”. I wondered what it meant. I had a vague idea but one day I took the time to find out where the old saying came from. It is fascinating. Today Rubicon is on a thousand items from motorbikes to drinks, so why is this ancient name so famous?

The Rubicon was a small river in northern Italy , approximately 200 miles north of Rome, the frontier boundary of Italy. It is long lost to history. There are several rivers today that people say could have been part of the ancient one but no one really knows. It was the old boundary between Gaul and Italy .

In Roman times it flowed into the Adriatic Sea between Ariminum (Rimini) and Caesena (Cesena). Today the closest rivers are the Pisciatello and the Fiumicino as it reaches the sea.

So what does “Crossing the Rubicon” actually mean and why has it gone down in history? Crossing the Rubicon has come to imply going past a point of no return but why? I’ll tell you.

The river was considered to mark the boundary where any Roman General coming home from war had to disband his army before entering to Rome. Bringing a standing army into the city was considered an act of war punishable by death in the public arena.

So basically, for the safety of Rome, ancient Roman law forbade any general from crossing the shallow river with an army. It was to protect the Republic from any internal military threat.

In January 49BC the all-conquering Julius Caesar was returning victorious from years of campaigning against the barbaric hoards of the North. On his long march back he had heard that in Rome they were getting ready to dispose of him. He had become too powerful and popular for his own good. The Republic could not hold one all-powerful man. It relied on the collaboration of the many nobles (however corrupt) not one all-powerful man. Caesar was in trouble.

His choice was simple, to gamble on his political prowess and popularity or take Rome by force. As a warring general the answer was obvious, take Rome by force, rely on his sword and his loyal legions.

So in the winter of 49BC Caesar decide to take his army across the Rubicon and start a civil war, he passed the point of no return, committed everything and gambled all.

On January 10th, Caesar, with his faithful 13th Legion marched on Rome he fought his bloody way to the top. He eventually become the first Emperor of Rome and instigated the seeds that would see Octavian (in27BC) replacing the Republic that had governed the ancient empire. Julius Caesar had started the first line of emperors.

Lot of good it did him, getting stabbed in the back-an-all. Those ungrateful dogs!

Mind you he did become the most powerful man in the world, start a new political system, become one of the most famous men in history and have a fling with a real stunner, Cleo, before he bit the dust. I do that most weeks!

So the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has survived to refer to any person who commits themselves irrevocably past the point of no return.

See told you it was fascinating!

Let me know what you thought: alexsussex@aol.com

Time for a funny true story: Ena, Wilf & the one-armed machinist

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