Crossing the Rubicon

One is deemed to have crossed the Rubicon when one makes a decision in life that cannot be reversed. When Julius Caesar crossed the river Rubicon in 49 BC and entered the province of Rome with his legions, he broke a Roman law. It automatically meant war with his rival Pompey for supreme power in Rome. Caesar had crossed a point of no return and is reputed to have said, Iacta alea est, which is Latin for the die is cast. Modern journalists are fond of attributing Rubicon tactics to politicians when they commit themselves to actions or policies from which there is no turning back.