Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic
Encyclopedia
Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic is a non-fiction book written by Tom Holland
, published in 2003.
The book tells the story of the end of the Roman Republic
and the consequent establishment of the Roman Empire
. The book takes its title from the river Rubicon
in the northern Italian peninsula. In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar
crossed this river with his army and marched on Rome
, breaking a sacred law of the Roman Republic and throwing the nation into a civil war
.
Tom Holland (author)
-Biography:Holland was born near Oxford and brought up in the village of Broadchalke near Salisbury, England. His younger brother is the historian and novelist James Holland...
, published in 2003.
The book tells the story of the end of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
and the consequent establishment of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The book takes its title from the river Rubicon
Rubicon
The Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, about 80 kilometres long, running from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea through the southern Emilia-Romagna region, between the towns of Rimini and Cesena. The Latin word rubico comes from the adjective "rubeus", meaning "red"...
in the northern Italian peninsula. In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
crossed this river with his army and marched on Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, breaking a sacred law of the Roman Republic and throwing the nation into a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
.