Crossing the Rubicon

Today’s the Day! Or, well, the 10th of January, 49 BC was, anyway. For this is the day that Julius Caesar uttered the words ‘Alea Iacta Est’ while he crossed the Rubicon, starting a civil war which would end with his appointment as Roman Emperor.

Crossing the Rubicon was a big deal, as once it was done, they couldn’t go back! Since then, ‘crossing the Rubicon’ has come to mean ‘the point of no return’.