Why This Page Matters
The civil war between Caesar and Pompey is the Republic’s terminal crisis. When Caesar crosses the Rubicon in January 49 BC, he claims he is defending his dignitas — his personal honour and legal rights — against an illegitimate senatorial faction. His opponents claim he is a tyrant destroying the Republic. Cicero agonises over which side to join. Cato fights for the Republic and dies for it. By the time Caesar returns to Rome as dictator in 45 BC, the Republic as a system of shared government is effectively dead.