 |
|
Al'Kimiya
|
|
quote: Originally posted by Solver
OK, I'm sure what this means and in what language is it, but I'm not quite sure it is very relevant to Civ 3 and has to be here. |
It's todays trivia question...
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Al'Kimiya
|
|
quote: Originally posted by shade
I mean,if you use famous quotes you DON'T TRANSLATE them. |
Well ok... it's only 10 points...
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Akron
|
|
I wouldn't say this is common knowledge. Maybe some of you know Latin or have studied history that thoroughly, but not all people have.
|
|
|  |
 |
|  |
 |
|
dainbramaged13
|
|
Dumbass
Mar 2000 time: 00:15
|
|
im in first year latin and i dont know what it means...
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Pods
|
|
Argh...
Okay, lets clear this up entirely:
As has been said, 'Alea iacta est' is Latin for 'The die is cast'
The history behind it:
In 50 BC the Roman Republic was on the verge of civil war, between the 'popular' faction led by Julius Caesar and the 'Senatorial' faction, led by Gnaeus Pompey, also known as Pompey the Great.
Caesar had been in Gaul (France) for just under 10 years leading up to 50 BC, and because of some previous complexity regarding his consulship in Rome in 59 BC, his return to Rome would mean that he would be arrested (mostly because his rivals, the 'Senatorials', wanted to get him out of the picture), which obviously he wanted to avoid. He wanted to avoid by being elected consul of Rome again for 50 BC (if he was in office he would have been immune from being arrested), but the Senate wouldn't allow him to stand for the consulship from France, so his return to Rome would leave him open to arrest. His only other option was to go in with an army.
So, in 50 BC his one-time colleague Pompey the Great was mobilising legions for Caesar's impending return to Rome. Caesar, however, decided to have speed as his advantage by immediately going down into Italy with only one legion. It is said that Italy started from the Rubicon river, and so Caesar stood with his legion at this river for quite a while, considering whether or not he wanted to plunge Rome and all its territory into a brutal civil war (which lasted 5 years, until 45BC) - by crossing the river with a legion, he would have effectively declared civil war. So, Caesar was standing at the Rubicon considering whether or not he wanted to engage in a civil war, and when he decided that he had no choice, he crossed the river with the words 'Alea iacta est', The die is cast, so as to say that there was no turning back (and perhaps also that he felt victory was inevitable, depending on your interpretation).
So that is the story of 'Alea iacta est'
S.
|
|
|  |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:15. Apolyton Time is 00:15. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|