Ah they and welcome to Emperor's of Rome, a Roman history podcast from Latrobe University.

I'm your host Matt Smith and with me today is Dr.

Rianna Evans, a senior lecturer in classics and ancient history at Latrobe

University. This is episode XC- V. I. Dictator of Rome, which for those playing at home was the original name of this

podcast way back when it was a mini-series on Julius Caesar, at which point it all got a bit out of hand, and, well, four years later, here we are.

The first triumvirate is over, but for Julius Caesar, he got his desired outcome. He's now poised with an army to march into Rome.

Over the next few years he will exert influence over the empire and his legacy will bring an

end to the Roman Republic.

He's Rianna Evans.

When Caesar crosses the Rubicon in 49 B.C.

He's declaring war on the Senate.

He's doing something that no Roman commander should do and he's

changing the course of history which is why we think of Rubicon as meaning no way

back and Caesar is supposed to have said the famous phrase that the dye is cast, right? He's shown his hand.

He can't change his mind now.

What is he hoping to get out of it? When he gets to Rome, does he want at this point absolute power? Does he just want control over the Senate?

Is it his intention to make himself a dictator or even more? What does he want out of doing this?

Well it's quite hard for us to mind read Caesar at this point. The immediate desire seems

to be to beat the Senate at their own game, which is at least some people in the Senate want to put him on trial.

So the spur that puts him onto this is avoiding going on trial for having misbehaved in the

Gallic War, for having declared war on a friend of Rome.

But of course there is a bigger game here and it's been clear throughout at least the late 50s

...