Why Caesar Had to Cross the Rubicon

Рет қаралды 11,840

Жыл бұрын

On January 10, 49 BC Julius Caesar marched into Italy with a single legion (Legio XIII) committing himself to a Civil War with the Senatorial army commanded by Pompey the Great.
Caesar is often presented as the aggressor in this conflict, but this video presents some of the flaws in the efforts to blame Caesar for the war when it more naturally falls on the reactionary optimate faction led by Cato the Younger.
This momentous decision gave rise to two of the most enduring idioms in English: "The Die is Cast" and "Cross the Rubicon"
#history #spqr #tribunate

Пікірлер: 51

@nicolasclermont893 Жыл бұрын

Incredibly based and triumviratepilled. Subbed

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Be sure to check our most recent video for more pro-Triumvirate propaganda

@HistoriaMoneta 8 ай бұрын

Very well said, great work! I think it is a crime how Caesar is looked on by many as a tyrant with nothing but pure self-interest as motivation, while Cato is commonly held as some selfless paradigm of Republican virtue. If I had to pick one man who deserved most of the blame for the violence Cato is an easy choice. As you mentioned, Caesar exhaustively tried to come to a compromise despite his firm legal standing and popular support, while Cato and his zealous uncompromising delusion is the most significant reason no agreement was reached. Caesar's offer to solely retain governorship of Illyria with one measly legion was more than fair and clearly removed any real or perceived threat to the Republic Caesar represented. I think it evidently shows that Caesar was never a true threat to the Republic until Cato and his faction forced him to be. Also side note: I own an example of the same Caesar coin type you showed! Would love some content on Roman coinage. I am dedicated collector from the Imperatorial period and would be happy to give you guys some ideas. Keep up the great work!

@tribunateSPQR 8 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video, your praise means a lot coming from someone who clearly knows the subject matter very well! I highly recommend "Julius Caesar and the Roman People" by Robert Morstein-Marx as he takes each demonstrates each of the above points in exhaustive detail. All ideas are welcome, drop any suggestions you have! Given what you said above, I think you'll really enjoy our video scheduled for Sunday which is on Cato's obstruction and his unearned reputation as a man of principle.

@UnironicMonarchist Жыл бұрын

Two things, 1 I always thought Shakespeare added "the die is cast" learn something new every day. 2 I recently got Caesar in Gaul and the amount of anti Julius Caesar in it made me sick.

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

"The die is cast" is attested in Suetonius and Plutarch so there is every reason to believe it was a genuine quote. I'd recommend "The Education of Julius Caesar" by Arthur Kahn for a more sympathetic portrayal of Caesar and his career.

@tomdumb6937 3 ай бұрын

To this day they beat on him. Great man...

@w014prc7 Жыл бұрын

holy shit i sort of assumed this is the kind of video that would get tons of views, i was shocked to see how little subscribers this channel has

@RibbyCribby Жыл бұрын

10/10 copious amount of notes taken by me

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! We take a partisan stance here, but the facts all check out. “The Education of Julius Caesar” by Arthur Kahn goes into more detail on the optimate effort to crush negotiations

@kevinmcqueenie7420 Жыл бұрын

It is easy from our far remove to look back and see moments like this in isolation. Important to remember they were part of the living, breathing past and put them into context, like you do so well here in just a few minutes. Keep up the good work, hopefully the algorithm will catch on soon!

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

@pena.3302 10 ай бұрын

Bravo..what a well informed piece you put up..More like this I'd love to see n Read..think..et..So kp up your Good work.too..So well put..in those times..love❤ it..cheers !@

@bobbiemiles-foremaniii8747 Жыл бұрын

This is killer content! Instant subscribe from the first video. I guarantee I will get through all of your videos

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

Thank you! It’s very niche content so we’re always Glad to hear that it resonates. Appreciate the kind feedback

@iworkharvey4103 4 ай бұрын

💯❗️Great video. Finally, it’s refreshing to see a great depiction of Caesar’s and the Popularian’s perspectives based on the facts and evidence that exist. Love this

@y11971alex 10 ай бұрын

Hi your content makes a good complement to Historia Civilis and deserves at least as many subs :3

@tribunateSPQR 10 ай бұрын

Thank you! We also love his work and it was a big inspiration for our channel

@y11971alex 10 ай бұрын

@@tribunateSPQR In saying so I don't mean to subordinate or restrict your content to theirs, but to say that it is an alternative approach that is of peer quality with plenty of potential of its own. However, unlike most historians of Rome I am not entirely enthralled by the end of the Republic but the start of it. XD

@jonholland9042 8 ай бұрын

Excellent background info

@tribunateSPQR 8 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@matthewct8167 4 ай бұрын

According to Adrian Goldsworthy, Optimates and Populares where not really parties or organized factions but a distinction between people with specific political tactics (which does also influence political decision). The former preferring backroom politics of the aristocrats and the latter been more populistic.

@tribunateSPQR 4 ай бұрын

I think that by and large this is accurate - for the most part Roman politicans adopted optimate or populare posturing as a means to an end, doing whichever would position them for success in that specific context and never being shy about shifting later. However, I do think that there were some clear ideological differences between Caesar and some of his optimate rivals like Cato. It doesn't evenly map onto modern left-right politics but Caesar was highly influenced by epicurean philosophy while Cato was a staunch stoic. These commitments resulted in radically different views about what Rome should be and how it should operate

@bbangssaem8781 Жыл бұрын

Is this a guest narrator?

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

Yes, the Tribunate team is growing, and we'll be featuring new narrators on some content.

@BC-lj9wd Жыл бұрын

It's my son!

@Tinil0 Жыл бұрын

Is it just me or does Pompeii's bust look a bit like Gene Wilder?

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

I can see that!

@langdonowen161 Ай бұрын

Living relative of Gaius Asinius Pollio here o7

@amendingamerica Жыл бұрын

Alea iacta est!

@tribunateSPQR Жыл бұрын

The man certainly had a way with words. It’s crazy that this phrase “vini, vidi, vici” and “et tu brute” are all still part of the lexicon 2000 years later

@katmannsson 23 күн бұрын

Yes but he did not see if Tribune Aquila Approved :(

@tribunateSPQR 21 күн бұрын

hahaha - I need to do a video on that little exchange, one of the most petty exchanges from the ancient world

@Xizor15 Ай бұрын

Would you happen to remember what music track you used in the first half of this video?

@tribunateSPQR Ай бұрын

Sure! here is The drum intro: Music: Fólkvangr by Alexander Nakarada Free download: filmmusic.io/song/4762-folkvangr And the guitar segment: Music: Fantasy Motion [loop ready] by Alexander Nakarada Free download: filmmusic.io/song/8059-fantas...

@Xizor15 Ай бұрын

@@tribunateSPQR amazing, thank you!!!

@jaca2899 Ай бұрын

As a certified Cato hater, I approve this video

@tribunateSPQR Ай бұрын

We are also certified Cato haters here - we even did a whole video on how much we despise the man: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/es10ZsKWp6jSZaM.html

@VeritasAmantesVocat 21 күн бұрын

Just because the Senate ignored the cries of the poor does not automatically make Caesar a man of the people. Roman politics had become a shitshow, and he found a way to win, and consolidate his power, as supreme ruler. And handed this power to an heir, just like a King would.

@Nellis202 8 ай бұрын

….. by refusing to allow him to run for election in absentia . Sounds vaguely familiar.

@iloveshrek3591 2 ай бұрын

Ahahah this shit is so fucking funny, it is like listening to 2000 year old propaganda! I literally do not now if it is satire or not, but it is genius no matter what.