Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of ancient warfare answers with me Murray,

your weekly fix of 10 minutes of ancient warfare ranting and raving, answering questions if I can.

That's what I do.

I answer a question from a reader, listener or viewer. You can ask us a question. You can send me an email,

murray at carvanseroypublishers.com or even AWA at ancient warfare.com ancient dash warfare. Today's

exciting day. I got a fan letter. Very exciting. Oh, sorry for the Russell into the microphone there. So that's what you can do. You can, of course, back us on Patreon one of three different levels. You don't have to. You can send me a fan letter just from random in the blue. The address, P.O. Box 222, Bellfield 2191, Australia will get to me. Now, this is from James. Oh, I need my glasses for this. Love your show. Thank you, James.

I have a thought to share on a well-known topic, the expression the die has cast. I know you are an

expert and speak Latin and I am just a guy who loves history and thinks too much. No, no, no. I am

just a guy who loves ancient history, history, military history and thinks too much. Opera history, too, but that's not this podcast. And, I am just a guy who loves ancient history, history, military history, and thinks too much.

Opera history, too, but that's not this podcast.

And I certainly don't speak and think Latin, except very, very slowly and badly.

But consider the words die and cast.

What, if he isn't referring to the dice game, but the process of making or minting coins?

A dye is the hard metal stamp that one casts by pouring molten metal into a mould or form.

The dye with the design on the bottom is then struck to make the coins.

Hit very hard on top to imprint the silver disc underneath.

Caesar says the die is cast.

The decision has been made. I can't go back or change it. I'm sure it was Caesar's own fate on the other side. It's always bothered me that Julius Caesar would have made that decision by throwing dice. I know I'm wrong. Still love your show. There is nothing wrong with knowing you're wrong. Oh, that sounds philosophical. Love it. If he was speaking English,

perfect. Die and cast, obviously the English terms were it as opposed to the Latin. Don't

know what the Latin is proving that I don't speak Latin. The interesting thing, of course,

is that there is a game in Roman terms where they do indeed flip a coin called ships heads and ships ships and heads

something like that so there is a there is a coin flipping 50 50 decision making process

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