49 BC
Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon

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Julius Caesar, who has recently completed the conquest of Gaul, defies the Senate and Roman law and leads his 13th legion across the Rubicon river into Italy. After pursuing his rival Pompey 'the Great' into the Balkans and defeating him at the battle of Pharsalus in June the next year, Caesar becomes dictator, or absolute ruler, of Rome and its empire (see Politics). The empire will be wracked by civil war for much of the next 20 years.

'Alea iacta est.' ('The die is cast.') Julius Caesar, on ordering his troops across the Rubicon.

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