The Rubicon Susan Hill Image © Susan Hill 2015. The Victim Roman general and, prior to 50 BC, governor of the province of Gaul. His popularity with the.

The Rubicon Susan Hill

Image © Susan Hill 2015

The VictimRoman general and, prior to 50 BC, governor of the province of Gaul. His popularity with the Roman public was high - this was perceived as a threat by the Roman senate.

In January 49 BC, Caesar made the decision to cross the Rubicon with his legions - marking the ‘point of no return’ - to challenge Pompey the Great, the standing leader of the Roman Republic. This ignited civil war. At the time of the crossing Caesar was said to have quoted the Athenian playwright Menander: ālea iacta est (the die is cast).

His assassination on the 15th of March (the Ides of March) sparked five civil wars, brought about the demise of the Roman Republic and began the creation of the Roman Empire.

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Gaius Julius Caesar

Born: July 100 BC, Rome, Italy. Died: 15 March 44 BC, Rome Italy. Assassinated.


CalpurniaCalpurnia Pisonis

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Image © Alexander Evans 2015

Third and last wife of Julius Caesar. Calpurnia famously had a premonition about her husband’s murder, and endeavoured in vain to warn him. Unaware that he was one of the conspirators against her husband, she told Decimus to advise the senate that Caesar was ill and unable to attend. Decimus disdained Calpurnia’s premonition and escorted Caesar to the theatre.

Following Caesar’s death, Calpurnia reportedly delivered all Caesar’s personal papers to Marc Antony.

Born: 74 BC.Died: Unknown.

BrutusMarcus Junius Brutus

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A senator of the Roman Republic. The historian Plutarch notes that Caesar believed Brutus to have been his illegitimate son, as his mother Servilia had been Caesar's lover during their youth. Brutus stabbed Caesar in the groin.

The famous Shakespearean line ‘et tu Brute’ is most likely a dramatic creation. Brutus was a key member of the Libatores who were a group of people who led the assassination on Caesar.

Born: June 85 BC, Rome, Italy.Died: October 23, 42 BC, Philippi, Greece (Macedonia). Suicide.

PorciaPorcia Catonis

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The second wife of Brutus, to whom he confided the details of the conspiracy – allegedly the only woman to have known beforehand of the assassination plot.

She remained in Rome after Brutus and the other conspirators fled. She committed suicide, reputedly by swallowing live coals after learning of Brutus’ death. Foreground: PorciaBackground: Brutus


Born: c.78 BC.Died: c. October 42 BC.

CiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero

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A senator and a famous orator, philosopher, lawyer and political theorist of Rome. Originally an ally of Caesar, he later politically opposed him and fled Rome in 49 BC into exile. Pardoned the following year, Cicero returned to Rome. It is thought he was not included in the plot by the conspirators and was taken by surprise at the event.

After Caesar died, Brutus held aloft a bloodstained dagger and called out to Cicero to champion the restoration of the Republic. Marc Antony declared him an enemy of Rome (this was opposed but finally allowed by Octavius) in 43 BC.


Born: 3 January 106 BC.Died: 7 December 43 BC, Formia, Italy. Executed.

OctaviusGaius Octavius(Augustus Caesar)

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Octavius was Julius Caesar's adopted heir and his actual Grand-nephew. Later known as Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus: the founder and first Emperor of the Roman Empire, ruling from 27 BC until his death.

He was aged 18 when Caesar died. In the aftermath of the assassination, Octavius, Marc Antony and others fought five civil wars against the Libatores – and ultimately against each other - which would culminate with the defeat of Marc Antony and formation of the Roman Empire under Octavius.

Born: 23 September 63 BC, Rome, Italy.Died: 19 August 14 AD, Nola (near Naples), Italy after a long illness, but also rumoured to have been poisoned by his wife Livia.



TilliusLucius Tillius Cimber

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A Roman senator and initially one of Caesars strongest supporters, he distracted Caesar at the theatre by begging a pardon for his exiled brother, which Caesar refused – as expected.

Tillius then pulled the purple robe from Caesar’s shoulders, which was the pre-arranged signal to the Libatores, who then surrounded Caesar. A key member of the Libatores who were a group of people who led the assassination on Caesar.

Born: Unknown.Died: 42 BC, Philippi, Greece (Macedonia).

“A certain seer warned Caesar to be on his guard against a great peril on the day of the month of March which the Romans call the Ides; and when the day had come and Caesar was on his way to the senate-house, he greeted the seer with a jest and said: "Well, the Ides of March are come."

The seer said to him softly: "Ay, they are come, but they are not gone."

The SeerThe Rubicon

From: ‘Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans’ (a.k.a. ‘Parallel Lives’). Written c. 98 AD.Plutarch (Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus).



CleopatraCleopatra VII Philopator

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The last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, she was (according to Plutarch) smuggled into Caesar’s palace in a rolled carpet in 47 BC to meet with him and subsequently became his mistress. This liaison solidified her grip on the Egyptian throne.

She bore Caesar a son, Caesarion, on 27 June 47 BC whom she wanted to be named Caesar’s heir, however Caesar named his Grand-nephew Octavius instead. Cleopatra was present in Rome at the time of Caesar’s assassination, but returned to Egypt shortly after.

Cleopatra formed an alliance with, and married Marc Antony in 32 BC after bearing him twins in 40 BC. After Antony’s suicide, Cleopatra followed suit, according to tradition killing herself by means of an asp bite.

Born: 69 BC, Alexandria, Egypt.Died: 12 August 30 BC, Alexandria, Egypt. Suicide.



GladiatorsThe Rubicon

Decimus hired gladiators to attend Pompey’s theatre on the day to stage a game of gladiatorial sport. However the gladiators were reputedly in attendance as crowd control, in case their services were needed to assist the assassination or to protect the Libatores.Foreground: BrutusBackground: Gladiators

Latin:. Gladiator: Swordsman. From gladius: ‘sword’.A person, professional combatant, a captive, or a slave, trained to entertain the public by engaging in mortal combat with another person or a wild animal in the ancient Roman arena.


SPQRThe Senate and People of Rome.

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Referring to the Government of the ancient Roman republic, the phrase first appears in Latin inscriptions c.80 BC in Roman political, legal and historical literature, including the speeches of Cicero.

It still used today as a municipal emblem for Rome.

Latin:. Senātus Populusque Rōmānus

The Rubicon Susan Hill

Belconnen Arts Centre

4 – 20 September 2015

DedicatedIn loving memory to

my friend

Brian Privett

06/08/47 – 24/08/15

Do not stand at my grave and weep,I am not there, I do not sleep,I am a thousand winds that blowI am the diamond glints on snowI am the sunlight on ripened grainI am the gentle Autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hushI am the swift uplifting rushOf quite birds in circled flightI am the soft stars that shine at nightDo not stand at my grave and cryI am not there, I did not die.Mary Elizabeth Frye

The Rubicon Susan Hill Image © Susan Hill 2015. The Victim Roman general and, prior to 50 BC, governor of the province of Gaul. His popularity with the.

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