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Article: The die is cast.(In case you didn't know ...)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Modern Casting
- Article date:
- May 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 American Foundry Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What exactly did Julius Caesar mean when he spoke the now-famous phrase "the die is cast" moments before leading his legion of troops across the River Rubicon?
Caesar was marching his army from outside the Roman boundry and into Italy when he reached the Rubicon, which served as the dividing line. Crossing it meant a certain declaration of civil war. Heading back to Rome meant failure. Upon reaching the Rubicon, Caesar proclaimed, "alea iacta est." or "the die is cast."
What followed was three years of civil war, which Caesar eventually won. History has since shown us that Caesar was borrowing the phrase from his favorite Greek poet/dramatist, Menander.