THE RUBICON

A couple of lightning moves made it clear how seriously the conqueror of Gaul had to be taken. The first move was his crossing of the southern boundary of Cisalpine Gaul at the head of an army (breaking the ban on leaving the province and, worse, entering terra Italia bearing arms, without the permission of the Senate). The second – and objectively more serious – was the capture of Ariminum, the first city on the road south. Both took place on the same day, 11 or 12 January 49. There is no certainty about the date of these momentous events