Caesar's Bold Decision and the Beginning of the Roman Civil War

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  • By 50 BCE, the Triumvirate had ended. Crassus had been killed in battle, and Pompey had become jealous of Caesar's success. When Caesar refused to give up his army and return to Rome, his life and career were at stake.
  • In January of 49 BCE, Caesar crossed the Rubicon, declaring that his mind was made up and he was ready to battle Pompey.
  • Caesar started his march on Rome in the dead of winter, knowing that it would start a civil war.
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お願いします (13) By 50 BCE, the Triumvirate had ended. Crassus had been killed in battle, and Pompey had become very jealous of Caesar's military success and his great popularity. Pompey had married Caesar's daughter, Julia, but when she died in childbirth, the bond between the two men was broken. Before Caesar returned from Gaul, Pompey sided wit the Senate to declare his former father-in-law an enemy of the State. The Senate demanded that Caesar give up his army and return to Rome. Knowing that he would be arrested if he obeyed, he refused. But now his life and career were at stake. Did he dare go back to Italy at all? (14) In January of 49 BCE, Caesar's forces were camped just north of the Rubicon, the river that marked the boundary between Gaul and Ital. As soon as Caesar heard the Senate's ruling, he slipped away from the camp with a few trusted men. It was night, and everyone else was feasting. No one noticed that he was missing. When he reached the banks of the Rubicon, he paused, thinking about his next step. After a moment, he declared, “The die is cast” and crossed the river. This was his way of saying that his mind was made up and wouldn't be changed. Now he was ready to meet his former ally, the great general Pompey, in battle. (15) Caesar was never one to stand around, waiting for someone else to do something. Decisive as always, he began his march right away. He set out in the dead of winter with a single legion of soldiers. He knew that by marching on Rome he would start a civil war. What he didn't know─and couldn't have known─was that this war would last for nearly two decades and destroy the Republic.

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(13) 紀元前50年までには、三頭政治は終わっていました。クラッススは、戦死し、ポンぺイウスは、シーザーの軍の成功と彼の大変な人気をひどくねたむようになっていました。ポンぺイウスは、シーザーの娘のジュリアと結婚していました、しかし、彼女が出産で死亡したとき、2人の男の間の絆は断たれました。シーザーが、ガリアから戻る前に、ポンぺイウスは、元老院と手を組んで彼の元義理の父を国家の敵であると宣言しました。 元老院は、シーザーが彼の軍を放棄して、ローマに戻るように要求しました。従えば、逮捕されるだろうということを知っていたので、彼は拒絶しました。しかし、今や、彼の命と経歴は、危なくなっていました。彼は、一体あえてイタリアに戻る勇気があったのでしょうか? (14) 紀元前49年の1月に、シーザーの軍隊は、ガリアとイタリアの間の国境となる川であるルビコン川の北で野営しました。シーザーは、元老院の決定を聞くとすぐに、彼は数人の信用のおける部下と野営地から抜け出しました。 夜でした、それで、他の皆は、饗宴を開いていました。誰も、彼がいなくなったことに気がつきませんでした。ルビコン川の川岸に到着したとき、彼は休止し、彼の次の歩みについて考えました。しばらくして、彼は、宣言しました「賽は投げられた」、そして、彼は、川を渡りました。これが、決心がついて、変わらないと言う彼のやり方でした。今や、彼は、彼の以前の同盟者、ポンぺイウス大将軍と対戦する準備ができていました。 (15) シーザーは、決して、ぼんやりと、他の誰かが何かするのを待っている様な人間ではありませんでした。あい変わらずの決断力を持って、彼はすぐに進軍を開始しました。彼は、一個師団の兵士とともに、真冬の中を出発しました。ローマに向かって進軍することは、内戦を始めることだということを、彼は知っていました。彼が知らなかった ─ 知るはずのなかった ― ことは、この戦争が、ほぼ20年間続き、共和国を破壊することになるということでした。

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