On this day...
Apr. 7th, 2006 05:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I was amused to see wikipedia "On this day" ends with a line "Recent days: April 6 -- April 5 -- April 4". No shit! :)
10th Jan, 49 BC -- Julius Caeser crosses the Rubicon
NB: "The die is cast" was not *certainly* what Caesar said (wikipedia also suggests "Let the dice fly high"), but was certainly contemporarily attributed to him. However, AUE says it definitely means "a die is thrown", as opposed to "mold is cast".
Has anyone heard the other version, or am I debunking a dead legend?
Caesar has had military and political success, and been a consul (one of two rulers, still not independant of the senate) for a year before being packed off to be great and concquer Gaul as Proconsul. When that ran out he was called home, and naughtily brought part of his army with him in case anyone tried to arrest him for being a bastard.
Afterwards, everyone runs away from him; General Pompey, his father-in-law and erstwhile ally, flees to egypt where he is excecuted by Ptolemy, joint ruler with his daughter Cleopatra. Julius takes exception, marries Cleopatra, wins her civil war setting her up as ruler, goes back to Rome, is elected dictator, eventually killed by Brutus et al, Cleopatra marries his friend Mark Anthony, civil war again reigns until everything settles down under Caesar's heir, Octavian aka Augustus Caesar.
Eventually Shakespeare writes a couple of plays, salads and artificial births are named, and "dictator" acquires negative connotations quite quickly. Originally, Dictator was a temporary post to have ultimate power to deal with some specific threat, which rather makes sense. Then JC was elected permanent dictator as Sulla before him, and some people disapproved.
ETA: This is a very very simplified description of crossing the rubicon. Probably the first comment will elucidate better.
EDIT: Removed spurious footnote on dictator.
10th Jan, 1863 - The first section of the London Underground Railway opens, between Paddington and Farringdon Street.
10th Jan, 1982 - The lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire. This equaled the record set in the same place on February 11, 1895.
10th Jan, 2001 - Wikipedia starts as part of Nupedia. It becomes a separate site five days later.
10th Jan, 49 BC -- Julius Caeser crosses the Rubicon
NB: "The die is cast" was not *certainly* what Caesar said (wikipedia also suggests "Let the dice fly high"), but was certainly contemporarily attributed to him. However, AUE says it definitely means "a die is thrown", as opposed to "mold is cast".
Has anyone heard the other version, or am I debunking a dead legend?
Caesar has had military and political success, and been a consul (one of two rulers, still not independant of the senate) for a year before being packed off to be great and concquer Gaul as Proconsul. When that ran out he was called home, and naughtily brought part of his army with him in case anyone tried to arrest him for being a bastard.
Afterwards, everyone runs away from him; General Pompey, his father-in-law and erstwhile ally, flees to egypt where he is excecuted by Ptolemy, joint ruler with his daughter Cleopatra. Julius takes exception, marries Cleopatra, wins her civil war setting her up as ruler, goes back to Rome, is elected dictator, eventually killed by Brutus et al, Cleopatra marries his friend Mark Anthony, civil war again reigns until everything settles down under Caesar's heir, Octavian aka Augustus Caesar.
Eventually Shakespeare writes a couple of plays, salads and artificial births are named, and "dictator" acquires negative connotations quite quickly. Originally, Dictator was a temporary post to have ultimate power to deal with some specific threat, which rather makes sense. Then JC was elected permanent dictator as Sulla before him, and some people disapproved.
ETA: This is a very very simplified description of crossing the rubicon. Probably the first comment will elucidate better.
EDIT: Removed spurious footnote on dictator.
10th Jan, 1863 - The first section of the London Underground Railway opens, between Paddington and Farringdon Street.
10th Jan, 1982 - The lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire. This equaled the record set in the same place on February 11, 1895.
10th Jan, 2001 - Wikipedia starts as part of Nupedia. It becomes a separate site five days later.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 05:51 pm (UTC)a consul (one of two rulers, still not independant of the senate)
Now what makes you say 'still'? I mean, the office of 'Emperor'[3] was sort of adapted from consular power, but not really the office of consul (there were still two consuls under the Empire, they just had less *real* power).
So where did you get the information then? Do you really know stuff about Sulla and things? Because *squee* :)
[1] As Pullo would say :)
[2] The series.
[3] Which you have to be very careful with - the meaning of the term 'imperator' changed more slowly than people sometimes think IMO.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 06:09 pm (UTC)I think I did hear a rumour about it referring to a mould of some sort (i.e. implying that he'd shaped the future or somesuch IIRC)
From a real clasics source, or a made up source? I've only seen cockfights on messageboards that go like:
A: Actually, "die is cast" doesn't mean "thrown", it refers to a mold being cast into shape, meaning, "ok, now it's irrevocable."
B: That's a cool theory, but actually the original translation is correct. See AEU FAQ, etc.
A: YOU PUSWAD! MY MADE UP ETYMOLOGIES ROCK UR PUNY VVORLD! HERE'S A TIP FOR YOU: IT STANDS FOR "TO ENSURE PROMPTNESS". MY COMMON SENSE IS MORE POWERFUL THAT YOUR H1STORY!
B: Moron. *necrodefiles you*
Now what makes you say 'still'?
I haven't read enough about the various assemblies, but I was thinking of dictators, which wikipedia says were exempt from pretty much anything.
Also, it calls his family "Julii Caesares", I never see plurals like that these days, squee! :)
Also, *looks at TV* Ooh, they're trailering "Cleopatra"! :)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-08 12:34 pm (UTC)I haven't read enough about the various assemblies, but I was thinking of dictators, which wikipedia says were exempt from pretty much anything.
Well, um, possibly. I forget whether a dictator could be prosecuted, but you'd think they could!
Ooh, they're trailering "Cleopatra"!
What Cleopatra[1]? Are they? Tell me more!
[1] IME, all Cleopatra's are good, *except* the one that was on C4 a while ago. But all others are good, especially uber-Cleopatra (i.e. the
Richard BurtonLiz Taylor one) :)no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 01:39 pm (UTC)*shrug* I think I've gone as far as I can, if one of us is to look it up I'm afraid it had better be you :( :)
What Cleopatra[1]? Are they? Tell me more!
I dont' know now, I just looked up and there it was. I can't find it now, it's possible it was part of Rome and it misled me, sorry.
uber-Cleopatra
Ooh, that sounds like some kind of killer beautiful ass bathing milk robot :)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-07 10:46 pm (UTC)How can it be the lowest ever if it is equalling a record?