The Russian language is rich in phraseological units that came from various, and sometimes “dead” languages at the moment. Many of them are associated with significant events that radically changed the course of history. The Latin expression "to cross the Rubicon" is no exception. It was first heard from the lips of one of the greatest men of the Roman Empire, Gaius Julius Caesar.
The historical meaning of the word "Rubicon"
Rubicon - what is it? During the search for information, it turns out that this is a river located in Italy. Once it served as a kind of northern cordon between the two states - the Roman Empire and Cisalpine Gaul, who fought among themselves.
Caesar, who was at the head of the legionnaires, after his brilliant victory became a real threat to the Senate. Senators, realizing that they could lose power over the empire, forbid him to return back to Rome. Julius Caesar, accustomed to victories and not recognizing defeats, could not tolerate such an attitude towards himself, he decides to break the taboo and cross the Rubicon. Faithfuland devoted warriors who won more than a dozen battles under his leadership went after him to conquer Rome. They had just entered the city when it became clear that there would be no resistance. The senators, worrying about their own safety, gave up the city almost without a fight, but Julius Caesar had to fight for the empire and his power in it. Crossing the "red river" (translation of the word "rubicon") was the beginning of a new life for the commander as the emperor of the great Roman Empire, who glorified his name for centuries in the history of mankind.
Rubicon today
Today, the Rubicon River (now Fiumicino) is not as full-flowing as many centuries ago. It has long since disappeared from topographic maps. Therefore, until the 30s of the 20th century, the Rubicon from the time of Julius Caesar could not be found. After a long study of the spills of the channel, soil, references to the location in various historical documents, viewing sketches, the name was officially returned to her, which became part of the name of the city itself, located nearby - Savignano sul Rubicon.
Now it is a small and inconspicuous river that carries its dirty waters into the Adriatic Sea north of the city of Rimini. Today, in response to the question of what Rubicon is, local residents only silently point to the sign at the entrance to the bridge.
Modern synonym for Rubicon
If you look for modern semantic analogues for the word "Rubicon", then the word "risk" is ideal. Deciding on some desperate step, a person is ready to leave everything for the sake of achieving somespecific purpose.
People say “Risk is a noble cause”, but this is not always the case. In order for him to be justified, you need, like Gaius Julius Caesar, to be 100% sure of your act, so that later you will not be disappointed in everything and everything. In other words, to the question of what the Rubicon is, you can answer that it is a risk, and this will turn out to be true.
Rubicon for everyone
Everyone faces a choice at least once in their life. Starting from early childhood, you have to decide on the color of the chalk, pencil when coloring, the style of clothing, music. In adulthood, the choice becomes much more difficult: a life partner, work, names of children, buying some thing (equipment, apartment or house), investing money. You have to be responsible for your every action, every word you say.
You have to decide what will be better and what will not. Constant circulation and fuss suck. Nothing pleases anymore. Then the limit comes, and something needs to be radically changed, finally and irrevocably. An individual, like Julius Caesar in his time, is faced with a choice - a bright future or a gray and so boring present, which will only aggravate everything in the future? These two opposites are separated by only one step, which is very difficult to decide.
Point of no return
Crossing the Rubicon means reaching the point of no return. We will have to go only forward, no matter how difficult this path may be, because, as before, it will no longer be.
Therefore, deciding on suchact, you need to think through every detail, consider all possible scenarios for the development of events, and then everything will work out. The word "rubicon", the meaning of which is interpreted as a frontier or border, is just right for defining this decisive step. The main thing is that there is a desire and aspiration. Only then the chances of achieving the desired increase dramatically.
The phrase "cross the Rubicon" in a modern interpretation
If you do not delve into the historical background of the question "Rubicon - what is it", then in modern speech you can find many expressions similar in meaning, which are now more common and most often used. For example, "Who does not risk - he does not drink champagne", "Pan or lost" and others. In many films, sayings of famous people, the theme of risk is often traced.
"Crossing the Rubicon", it is important not to forget the most important thing, that each person is responsible for his choice. If something suddenly does not go as planned, then only he himself will be to blame, and not someone else.
