The Russian language is rich in phraseological units that have come from different, 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 "cross the Rubicon" is no exception. For the first time, it came from the lips of one of the greatest people of the Roman Empire - Gaius Julius Caesar.
The historical meaning of the word "Rubicon"
Rubicon - what is it? When searching for information, it turns out that this is a river located in Italy. Once it served as a kind of northern cordon between two states - the Roman Empire and Cisalpine Gaul, who fought among themselves.
Caesar, who led the legionnaires, after his brilliant victory became a real threat to the Senate. The senators, realizing that they may lose power over the empire, forbid him to return to Rome. Julius Caesar, accustomed to victories and not recognizing defeats, could not endure such an attitude towards himself, he decides to break the taboo and cross the Rubicon. The faithful and devoted warriors, who won more than a dozen battles under his leadership, went after him to conquer Rome. They just entered the city, as it became clear that there would be no resistance. The senators, worrying about their own security, gave the city away almost without a fight, but Julia Caesar had to fight for the empire and its power in it. The transition of 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 Fiumincino) is not as full-flowing as many centuries ago. It has not existed on topographic maps for a long time. Therefore, until the 30s of the 20th century, the Rubicon of the time of Julius Caesar could not be found. After a long study of the spills of the riverbed, soil, references to the location in various historical documents, viewing sketches, the name was officially returned to it, which became part of the name of the city nearby - Savignano sul Rubicon.
Now it is a shallow and inconspicuous river, which carries its dirty waters to the Adriatic Sea north of the city of Rimini. Today, in response to a question about the Rubicon - what is it, local residents only silently point to a sign at the entrance to the bridge.
The modern synonym for the word "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 in order to achieve a specific goal.
The phrase “Risk is a noble cause” is popularly used, 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 actions so that you don’t be disappointed in everything and everything later. In other words, to the question of whether the rubicon is what it is, we can answer that it is a risk, and this will turn out to be true.
Rubicon for each his own
Each person at least once in a lifetime faces a choice. Starting from early childhood, one has to determine the color of crayons, pencils when coloring, the style of clothes, music. In adulthood, the choice becomes much more difficult: a life partner, work, names of children, buying some kind of thing (equipment, apartment or home), investing money. You have to answer for each of your actions, the spoken word.
You have to decide what will be better and what will not. The constant cycle and vanity suck. Nothing pleases. Then the limit comes, and something needs to be radically changed, finally and irrevocably. An individual, like Julius Caesar at one time, faces a choice - a bright future or a gray and boring present, which will only aggravate everything in the future? These two opposites are separated by just one step, which will be solved very difficult.
Point of no return
Going the Rubicon means reaching the point of no return. You 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 such an act, you need to think through every detail, consider all possible options for the development of events, and then everything will work out. The word "rubicon", the meaning of which is interpreted as a boundary or boundary, is just suitable for determining this crucial step. The main thing is that there is a desire and desire. 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 similar expressions in meaning, which are now more common and most often used. For example, “Who does not take risks - he does not drink champagne”, “Pan or disappeared” 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 everyone is responsible for their choice. If something suddenly goes wrong as intended, then it will be his fault alone, and not someone else.