On this day...
Apr. 7th, 2006 05:43 pmI 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.